The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continued its efforts to cut federal government spending this week, overcoming legal challenges along the way.
Here are some key victories for DOGE:
1. Judge denies request to halt federal worker firings
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper rejected a request from federal labor unions to stop the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration, ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction over the claims.
NTEU and other labor unions had filed a complaint challenging the firing of probationary employees and a deferred resignation program.
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Elon Musk’s DOGE celebrated several wins this week. (Getty)
Cooper ruled that the unions must pursue their challenges through the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute for administrative review.
2. Judge allows DOGE access to data
U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan denied a request to prevent Musk and DOGE from accessing data at various government departments.
The agencies had sought to stop Musk and DOGE from terminating employees, but Chutkan ruled in favor of allowing DOGE to continue its operations.
The judge established a briefing schedule for further legal motions.
The White House outlines potential allocations for DOGE’s savings. (Musk: Reuters / Money: iStock / Trump: Getty)
3. DOGE gains access to data on federal agencies
DOGE successfully defended its access to sensitive data from federal agencies in court, despite attempts to block it.
District Judge John Bates ruled in favor of allowing DOGE to access records at several government departments, acknowledging DOGE as an agency with the authority to detail staff to other departments.
Musk applauded the decision with a celebratory post on X.
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4. DOGE identifies major budget item responsible for significant payments
DOGE discovered an identification code linking U.S. Treasury payments to a budget line item that accounts for nearly $4.7 trillion in payments previously left blank.
Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office at the White House Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Alex Brandon)
DOGE made the TAS field a required identification code, improving traceability of payments.
The agency acknowledged the U.S. Treasury for its assistance in identifying the optional field.
TAS codes are used by the Treasury to describe account identification codes assigned to payments.
5. Schools spend billions in COVID relief funds on questionable expenses
Schools allocated COVID relief funds to expenses such as hotel rooms, MLB stadium rentals, and ice cream trucks, with little impact on students, according to DOGE.
DOGE uncovers how COVID relief funds were spent by schools. (Getty Images)
DOGE reported that schools spent nearly $200 billion in funding without significant oversight.
6. Hegseth works with DOGE to eliminate inefficiencies
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is collaborating with DOGE to identify and eliminate wasteful spending within his department.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers a press statement after a meeting at the Ministry of Defense. (Omar Marques)
Hegseth lauded the collaboration with DOGE to identify redundant budget items and eliminate non-essential efforts.
7. DOGE identifies government credit card use
DOGE disclosed that the U.S. government has more than 4 million active credit cards, processing millions of transactions in fiscal year 2024.
