DOEG Cancels 239 Contracts in a Brutal Finish—Here’s Who Got Screwed!

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has slashed 239 federal contracts in just two days, cutting out projects it deemed “wasteful” and saving taxpayers an estimated $400 million. The contracts, which had a combined ceiling value of $1.7 billion, included controversial programs such as a grant to teach transgender and queer urban farmers about “food justice.”

The cuts are part of a broader effort to eliminate spending that doesn’t directly serve the government’s core missions. “By stopping this wasteful spending here at USDA, we are ending identity politics, and we are refocusing our agency on its core mission of supporting American farming, ranching and forestry,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a video message.

Among the scrapped contracts was an $8.5 million consulting agreement aimed at enhancing fiscal management and workforce efficiency. The contract was intended to “drive innovation and improve efficiency and effectiveness of business services; rethink, realign and reskill the workforce; and enhance program delivery through a number of transformational initiatives.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also terminated several grants, including a $699,000 project studying “cannabis use” among “sexual minority gender diverse individuals.” Another cut involved $620,000 allocated to develop “an LGB+ inclusive teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys.” In addition, $225,000 in funding for a University of Colorado study on “the effects of hormones on headaches in transmasculine adolescents” was also revoked.

On the agricultural front, a $379,000 grant meant to educate queer, trans, and BIPOC urban farmers in the San Francisco Bay Area about food justice was among the projects eliminated. This program aimed to inform participants about equitable food distribution and access to “values-aligned markets.”

Critics of these cuts argue that the programs served marginalized communities and advanced important research. However, supporters of the decision see it as a necessary move to curb unnecessary spending and refocus government priorities.

DOGE’s announcement, shared in a post on X, signaled that more financial tightening could be on the horizon as the agency continues its review of federal spending. While some agencies scramble to adjust, others welcome the redirection of funds toward more traditional government functions.

With these contract cancellations, the Biden administration is facing renewed scrutiny over its budgeting decisions. As the federal government balances its books, the debate over what constitutes “wasteful spending” is likely far from over.