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“… DOGE claims cuts of $150 billion so far, but the Journal analysis found those efforts have yet to affect the bottom line.
And while the government’s income—taxes and revenues including tariffs—is also up, it isn’t enough to keep pace with higher spending.
… The increased costs are driven mainly by nearly 1.3 million new beneficiaries in the past year and a mandated 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment. DOGE says it is rooting out fraudulent claims and cutting staff, but Trump has promised to leave benefits untouched.
… Combined, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for roughly 43% of federal spending in the last fiscal year.
… There is a chance that the buyout offers actually increased salary costs this year, said Martha Gimbel, executive director and co-founder of the left-of-center Budget Lab at Yale. Some employees who had planned to retire or leave the federal government may have instead accepted a buyout and remained on payroll.
Similarly, the administration’s efforts to curb U.S. Agency for International Development costs hit roadblocks. At first, spending was dramatically cut, the Treasury checkbook shows. In March, however, the Supreme Court rejected the administration’s emergency request to delay foreign-aid payouts, and in recent weeks spending has nearly returned to 2024 levels. …”