Editorial: DOGE, Confusion, Not Cost-Efficiency
By • July 16, 2025 0 427
Washington, D.C., is no stranger to the changes that accompany a new presidential administration. Yet the Trump administration’s creation and implementation of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has brought confusion, not cost-efficiency, to the federal government’s operations, particularly here in the National Capital Region.
Though intended to identify and cut excess government spending, DOGE’s actions have resulted in more than 216,000 federal workers losing their jobs over the past six months. Apart from the impact on the provision of services, the rampant confusion caused by DOGE has meant that many people who work in and around the District face a derailing of their livelihoods and an uncertain future.
Even some whose jobs were labeled “essential” received a letter of termination. Increasingly, federal employees live under the constant fear that DOGE will shutter their agency, as seen in the fight over the Department of Education. Last Friday, the State Department sent layoff notifications to 1,300 employees, some of whom had worked at State for decades.
In some cases, DOGE’s cuts have imperiled and perhaps cost American lives. The recent deadly flooding in Texas raised concerns about the firings of National Weather Service personnel. While we can only speculate if DOGE’s NWS cuts were partly responsible for that tragedy, the staff reductions could potentially affect us all. Last week, the NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas of D.C.; should those types of alerts be eliminated, lives will be endangered nationwide.
While making the government more efficient is a priority we share, DOGE has so far failed to do so, instead reducing effectiveness, damaging careers and increasing risks to health and safety. In The Georgetowner’s opinion, six months of DOGE have proven to be six months too many.
