According to Business Insider, tech billionaire Elon Musk-led DOGE listed 793 federal lease terminations on its website, claiming a total savings of around $500 million. However, by later that morning, 136 leases had been taken off the list, reducing DOGE’s reported savings by approximately $150 million. The world’s richest man has made great strides in slashing the federal savings and streamlining the government operations.
DOGE cancelling leases
Musk-led DOGE has been working to cancel leases for buildings the tech mogul has labelled as “unused” or “vacant”. This comes at a time when the Trump administration has made it mandatory for remote federal workers to return to office. However, it is still unclear which leaves have been eliminated from considerations or reasons behind the changes.
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A spokesperson for the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency responsible for managing federal real estate, declined to comment on the removal of lease terminations from DOGE’s website, according to BI.
GSA reverses 100 lease terminations
Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that the GSA had reversed over 100 lease terminations. When contacted by Business Insider, a GSA spokesperson did not confirm specific figures but stated that the agency is “reviewing all options to optimize the federal footprint and building utilization.” The spokesperson added that the agency is “sending letters of intent to customer agencies to inform them GSA is considering lease termination” and is “actively managing lease contracts by leveraging existing contract cancellation rights.”The spokesperson stated that when current leases are deemed the most suitable, the GSA will adjust its strategy by “either rescinding termination notices or, in some cases, not issuing them at all.”ALSO READ: Trump signs order seeking to dismantle Department of Education. What happens to student loans?
As of Thursday, DOGE’s list of lease terminations still includes 27 Food and Drug Administration buildings, among them a facility in Newark, New Jersey, with an annual lease exceeding $630,000. DOGE claims this termination will contribute to over $2 million in savings, though it has not provided further details.
What agencies are included?
The list also features buildings belonging to the Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, National Park Service, and numerous other federal agencies. However, the exact status of each lease termination remains unclear. Some entries include specifics, such as the date the termination notice was issued and when the lease will end, while others are simply labeled as “termination via mass mod.”
Despite DOGE’s efforts, some lawmakers have successfully intervened to prevent closures in their states. Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma announced last week that, after advocating for several federal buildings in his state, DOGE agreed to keep them operational.
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“After working closely with DOGE and the Administration, I am thrilled to announce that common sense has prevailed, as the National Weather Center in Norman, the Social Security Administration Office in Lawton, and the Indian Health Services Office in Oklahoma City will remain operational,” Cole said.
Similarly, Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico pushed back against the GSA’s plan to terminate the lease for a Department of Energy facility managing an underground nuclear waste repository. Luján warned that shutting it down would jeopardize national and environmental security. The lease termination was later revoked, he said in a statement reported by The New York Times.
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This is not the first time the Trump administration has faced challenges over federal property decisions. In early March, the GSA released a list of more than 440 “non-core” federal properties identified for potential sale—including the headquarters of both the FBI and the Justice Department. However, within a day, the agency removed the list from its website, according to The New York Times. Currently, the agency’s webpage states that the updated list of properties is “coming soon.”
Last month, Elon Musk and his new department posted receipts of all the federal expenses that they ‘saved’, but one gaffe of a whopping $8 billion was spotted by The New York Times. Meanwhile, DOGE has also claimed credit for some of the recent office closures that took place when Joe Biden was still president.
To date, DOGE claims its cost-cutting measures have saved taxpayers an estimated $115 billion. However, in its two months of operation, the agency has already revised its savings projections downward multiple times.
