DOGE Team Cuts $3 Billion in Interior Department Contracts

Mr. Hassen, the former acting assistant interior secretary for policy, management and budget, detailed the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the U.S. Department of the Interior. Starting in January 2025, the DOGE team identified significant waste in human resources and IT staffing, leading to the cancellation of more than $3 billion in wasteful contracts.

Hassen noted that while the initiative did not materially reduce the $40 trillion national debt, it demonstrated that private-sector talent could successfully reorganize government functions. He stated that "DOGE proved the model works."

To institutionalize the mission championed by Elon Musk, Hassen proposed that Congress create a permanent efficiency and technology office. This proposed office would feature cross-agency data access and be staffed by private-sector professionals serving on short-term rotating tours.