DOGE caucus looks to codify Trump’s order to reduce federal workforce
DOGE caucus members announced legislation to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order to reduce the federal workforce.
- The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated 13 federal real estate contracts in Mississippi.
- DOGE claims to be saving taxpayers $3.6 million on the terminated contracts in Mississippi, but previous claims of savings have been inflated.
The Department of Government Efficiency has reportedly terminated 13 federal real estate contracts in Mississippi,, including some federal offices according to the department’s savings list.
Last week, the DOGE Wall of Receipts listed five cancelled real estate contracts in the Magnolia State. As of a Sunday, March 2, update, the total climbed by another eight.
The most recent DOGE update on real estate cuts took a step back on transparency. Previously, the site listed the kind of office and agency affected. The newest data lists the General Services Administration as the agency for most contacts, and that field is blank for many contracts as of 9 a.m. Monday, March 3.
President Donald Trump tasked the agency to find ways to decrease spending and regulations. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has claimed the organization is making large cuts, saving taxpayer dollars.
Trump has said his administration is thinking about giving 20% of “DOGE savings” to taxpayers as stimulus check.
DOGE claims to be saving taxpayers a total of $3.6 million on canceled real estate contracts in Mississippi.
However, multiple fact checks of the agency’s previous cost savings statements have shown inflated estimates that fall short upon review.
Here’s what we know so far about government cuts and layoffs and which Mississippi offices have reportedly been shuttered due to DOGE decisions.
What is DOGE?
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that rebranded the U.S. Digital Service, an arm of the executive branch, into the Department of Government Efficiency. Officially, it’s the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization.
Musk was later made a “special government employee.”
Multiple Democratic state attorneys general sued, challenging Musk’s authority and arguing his power to access data and make cuts to government funds violates the Constitution. The Appointments Clause says Congress must approve executive branch officers.
Trump had previously referred to Musk as the leader of DOGE, but a key change to DOGE leadership was announced after a filing in the suit said the world’s richest man isn’t in charge or an employee of the department, instead serving as a senior advisor to the president.
The judge declined to keep Musk from accessing sensitive records.
Recently, Amy Gleason was named the acting DOGE administrator.
How much has DOGE saved? Do DOGE cuts add up?
As of Monday, March 3, the Wall of Receipts listed $105 billion in total savings that translates to $652.17 per taxpayer. Full fact checking of the March 2 update is not yet complete.
So far, DOGE has announced massive cuts that haven’t held up under review. Some later get rolled back. It’s drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
“DOGE has an unprecedented opportunity to cut waste and bloat,” Nat Malkus, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, wrote in a blog post. “However, the sloppy work shown so far should give pause to even its most sympathetic defenders.”
In mid-February, the agency touted $55 billion in savings to taxpayers. The largest error in accounting on the “Wall of Receipts” inflated $8 million to $8 billion. But canceled contracts, real estate leases and grants actually accounted for $16.5 billion.
Musk also said they ended 89 research contracts at the Education Department costing $881 million. Later, DOGE adjusted that to $489 million. Analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank, analysis determined the total was closer to $278 million.
Who is Amy Gleason, the woman who actually heads DOGE?
It was originally believed that Elon Musk was leading the agency as he had been instrumental in setting up the framework for what Trump wanted to accomplish.
Scripps News
Which federal offices are reportedly closed in Mississippi?
Five sites were listed as “True Termination- Agency Closed Office” as of Friday. More information about the contracts was provided as of a Feb. 24 data push to the site.
U.S. Marshals Service, Oxford, DOGE estimates the total savings are $16,149 on an annual lease cost of $9,228 for 600 square feet.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Pearl was listed as no total savings but having an annual lease cost of $112,316 for 7,161 square feet of space.
Three Social Security offices are reportedly closed, though they are still listed on the Social Security Administration website as of Monday.
- Grenada: $127,570 in estimated total savings on an $255,140 lease cost for 8,946 square feet.
- Greenwood: $504,916 in estimated total savings on an $263,435 annual lease cost for 11,100 square feet.
- Meridian: $977,426 in estimated total savings on an $229,983 annual lease cost for 14,000 square feet.
The additional eight sites added in the March 2 update don’t have an agency listed on the DOGE site. The agency on all of them were blank, and the reason listed was “Termination via Mass Mod.” That means it was part of a change to multiple contracts at one time.
The available information includes:
- Oxford: $13,649 in estimated total savings on a $32,758 annual lease cost for 1,630 square feet.
- Gulfport: $82,604 in estimated total savings on a $198,250 annual lease cost for 8,608 square feet.
- Ackerman: $83,484 in estimated total savings on a $71,558 annual lease cost for 4,809 square feet.
- Jackson: $229,863 in estimated total savings on a $34,148 annual lease cost for 3,049 square feet.
- Jackson: $1,187,039 in estimated total savings on a $284,889 annual lease cost for 14,840 square feet.
- Greenwood: $287,000 in estimated total savings on a $123,000 annual lease cost for 7,500 square feet.
- Columbus: $6,495 in estimated total savings on a $38,973 annual lease cost for 2,301 square feet.
- Ridgeland: $144,159 in estimated total savings for 7,277 square feet of space. Additional information was not provided.
How many federal workers are there?
In total, there were about 2.3 million federal employees before the president offered buyouts to much of the civil workforce. About 75,000 workers reportedly took an eight-month buyout offer from the Trump administration, and more have been fired since.
Trump has said he wants to see “large-scale reductions in force.” The buyouts didn’t come close to the previously stated 10% workforce reduction, and more furloughs and layoffs are possible.
Some of those separations will be finalized after employees seek a solution through administrative channels or lawsuits.
How many federal employees are there in Mississippi?
There were 19,690 federal civilian employees in Mississippi as of September 2024. That doesn’t include uniformed military personnel or federal contractors.
Information on how many were affected by buyouts or layoffs is not yet available.
How many Social Security offices are there in Mississippi?
The Social Security Administration’s Atlanta regional office says there are sites in 23 cities, including:
- Brookhaven.
- Clarksdale.
- Cleveland.
- Columbus.
- Corinth.
- Forest.
- Greenville.
- Greenwood.
- Grenada.
- Gulfport.
- Hattiesburg.
- Hernando.
- Jackson.
- Kosciusko.
- Laurel.
- McComb.
- Meridian.
- Moss Point.
- Natchez.
- Philadelphia.
- Starkville.
- Tupelo.
- Vicksburg.
What other federal offices are located in Mississippi?
The U.S. General Services Administration arranges for federal offices and real estate contracts across the country. The site lists 10 federal offices in Mississippi, though that’s not comprehensive.
- T. G. Abernethy Federal Building in Aberdeen.
- New Greenville U.S. Courthouse in Greenville.
- Dan M. Russell Jr. U.S. Courthouse and Annex in Gulfport. (two facilities)
- William M. Colmer Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Hattiesburg.
- Thad Cochran U.S. Courthouse in Jackson.
- Dr. A. H. McCoy Federal Building in Jackson.
- U.S. Courthouse in Natchez.
- U.S. Courthouse in Oxford.
- Mississippi River Commission in Vicksburg.
How many post offices are there in Mississippi?
The United States Postal Service lists 613 offices in Mississippi. More than 210 of those, however, are discontinued offices.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
