The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) this week canceled nearly 200 U.S. government phone lines—which the task force called “unused”—as it continues its push to cut costs.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Officials with DOGE, the department established by President Donald Trump upon his return to the White House, believe a significant amount of money could be saved if similar cuts were implemented across the federal government. The cuts reflect DOGE’s stated goal of slashing waste in the federal government, though critics have raised concerns that some of the reductions diminish critical services for Americans.
What To Know
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) canceled 198 “unused” or duplicated phone lines that accounted for 19 percent of its total lines, DOGE wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter. The cuts took only one hour and resulted in savings of $100,000 per year, according to the post.
Elon Musk walks to the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 9.
Elon Musk walks to the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 9.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
DOGE estimated that cutting phone lines it deems unnecessary could save the federal government significantly more money if other agencies follow suit.
“Since OPM is ~0.1% of the federal government, this suggests that ~$100M/yr is wasted on unused lines,” DOGE wrote.
However, regarding that extrapolation, it is not clear that other agencies would have the same percentage of “unused” phone lines, so the exact amount that could be saved by cutting them is unknown.
DOGE’s website says it has saved $170 billion. Its “wall of receipts” accounts for about $71 billion of contracts, grants and leases.
A recent Harvard University/Harris Poll found that cutting the size of government is broadly popular—with 63 percent of Americans supporting the effort.
A majority—55 percent—said they believe DOGE has been effective at doing so. However, 54 percent said they believe the task force has “gone about making cuts to government expenses” the “wrong way.”
The poll surveyed 1,903 registered voters on May 14 and May 15, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk, leader of DOGE, wrote to X: “Government is wasting about $100 million per year on unused phone lines!”
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, wrote to X: “We identified the same issue last year with our Arkansas Forward initiative. We are now saving state taxpayers $1 million by eliminating unused phone lines.”
Immigration attorney Curtis Morrison wrote to X: “Government not answering phone, and DOGE solution is to cancel phone lines.”
What Happens Next
DOGE cuts will continue over the coming months. The Trump administration is locked in a legal battle about whether some of the task force’s records should be made public, this week asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that they can remain private.