If DOGE wants to find waste, it should start with my old agency
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct a name associated with the leadership of a federal department. We regret the error.
The second Trump administration has embraced the challenge of cutting government spending. With annual interest on the U.S. federal debt alone exceeding $1 trillion, the administration’s DOGE initiative couldn’t be more timely. Led by Elon Musk, this "Department of Government Efficiency" promises to save taxpayer money and streamline our bloated bureaucracies.
I am rooting for their success. One of my proudest accomplishments during my years leading a federal agency was to save $21.6 billion — far short of DOGE’s $2 trillion savings goal. I know how hard it is to change the government in ways that deliver meaningful savings.
As the Trump administration prepares its agenda, I have a few recommendations on where to start.
After decades in government, I know how hard it can be to identify and cut waste. This is not a reflection on the character or competency of government workers, many of whom are talented and hard-working with a genuine sense of public service. Instead, it is a reflection of a broken system that values process over efficiency.
The General Services Administration, which I led during the first Trump administration, manages the federal government’s real estate and procurement, including how the government buys everything from paper clips to courthouses. Although GSA reports roughly $40 billion in revenue, the agency oversees over $100 billion in annual government contracts and 360 million square feet of office space.
Prioritizing efficiency and savings at GSA can lead to billions of dollars of savings for taxpayers. With renewed support for efficiency and a supportive Congress, GSA could deliver greater savings than ever before.
One place to start is within GSA’s own programs and operations. An agency cannot be a champion of government efficiency when it tolerates internal waste and inefficiency.
For example, GSA should sunset Login.gov — a program that is redundant, over-budget and behind schedule. Taxpayers have spent more than $300 million to build this website, which verifies people’s identities online. It is competing with the private sector, including companies that sell to the government using GSA’s own contracts.
Recent government reports show that 40 percent of agencies using Login.gov report technical problems. The program is failing to meet its performance targets. Biden’s former IRS commissioner has publicly said his agency refused to use Login.gov due to its security flaws.
Login.gov is not just expensive and ineffective but fraudulent. In 2023, GSA’s own internal watchdog discovered the program’s leaders were actively lying about meeting the government’s highest security standards. This security risk also meant the program knowingly overcharged public agencies for its services, which has led to bipartisan congressional investigations.
As DOGE’s leaders look for programs to cut, there is no better candidate than a redundant program that has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars with a track record of swindling American taxpayers.
DOGE should not stop there. It could save even more money by eliminating most of GSA’s Technology Transformation Service. This is the parent organization of Login.gov and includes 18F, the group within GSA that built and oversaw Login.gov and lied about its capabilities.
Ironically, 18F was founded in 2013 to respond to the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov. Over time, it has become another example of a government program run amok.
At its launch, 18F was promised as a small, lean operation that would be fully funded by the revenues it provided to agencies. Instead, the Technology Transformation Service has failed to fully recover its annual costs and has a track record of mismanagement. Last year, it lost $179 million, and since 2021, it has spent nearly $1.3 billion to lose $533 million.
Despite its inability to cover its costs as promised, the Technology Transformation Service plans to grow by 30 percent by 2027. Given that much of it is duplicative of other government agencies like the U.S. Digital Service, DOGE should consider simply eliminating all non-essential elements of the organization and significantly reducing its budget.
One last lesson for DOGE to remember is that efficiency is not just about cutting. Investing in well-run programs can save taxpayer money. One great example within GSA is another TTS program: the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which offers a streamlined process to certify that cloud software is secure before it is purchased by government agencies.
Prior to FedRAMP, each agency did this type of analysis on its own, which led to inefficient duplication and inconsistent standards. FedRAMP makes it easier for the government to operate and purchase useful technology. Eliminating it would lead to more bureaucracy in the long run.
FedRAMP’s greatest challenge is that it lacks the capacity to process all companies seeking certification, so investing here could increase competition and ultimately result in lower prices across the government.
The Trump administration has a real shot at making government work better for taxpayers. It’s not just about slashing budgets; it’s about focusing on making government work well in the modern era.
Programs like Login.gov and organizations like TTS highlight how waste can spiral out of control, while successes like FedRAMP demonstrate that smart, focused initiatives save money and cut red tape.
If DOGE can focus on cutting what doesn’t work and doubling down on what does, it could do more than just reduce spending. It could show Americans that the government can actually deliver.
Emily W. Murphy served as the General Services Administration administrator from 2017 to 2021 after holding several senior roles within GSA. She previously spent nine years focused on procurement policy as a staff member of the House Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Small Business.
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