Trump’s DOGE agency says it cut $25B in federal spending despite legal setbacks and federal rehiring efforts.

DOGE Reports Major Spending Reductions

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on Wednesday that it has reduced annual non-defense federal obligations by 22.4% compared to 2024, amounting to approximately $25 billion in cuts. The latest update reflects an additional 1.9% reduction since May, continuing a downward trend in federal expenditure under President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cost efficiency.

The agency shared the figures via a post stating, “Cash outlays will follow as obligations come due,” and reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating wasteful spending in accordance with the DOGE Cost Efficiency Executive Order.

Just weeks earlier, on May 14, DOGE reported a 20.5% drop in non-defense obligations, underscoring consistent monthly progress despite challenges from within the federal system and judiciary.

Rehiring Efforts Complicate DOGE Mandate

The latest announcement came just before news emerged that over 450 former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees are being reinstated across several divisions. The reinstatements, confirmed by a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official, include staff from the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention; the National Center for Environmental Health; the Immediate Office of the Director; and the Global Health Center.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the matter in April, noting, “We're reinstating them, and that was always the plan. At DOGE, we talked about this from the beginning — we’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we'll make mistakes.”

In addition to HHS, other federal agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, Food and Drug Administration, State Department, and Department of Housing and Urban Development have initiated rehiring processes for personnel affected by the DOGE reductions, according to separate reports.

The reintegration of federal employees represents a balancing act between DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting strategy and the need to maintain essential services across departments.

Further complicating DOGE’s mission is a new legal constraint issued this week by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of New York. The ruling restricts DOGE’s access to federal databases, including Social Security records—resources the agency says are critical to identifying fraud and enforcing compliance.

The Trump administration has criticized the ruling, arguing that DOGE cannot function effectively without full access to the tools needed to carry out its oversight responsibilities.

Despite such setbacks, the agency continues to position itself as a central component of the administration’s fiscal reform agenda. Its monthly disclosures aim to highlight measurable outcomes and maintain public accountability for cost-cutting initiatives.