The Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration has ceased publishing information about canceled U.S. Agency for International Development contracts, citing “legal reason[s]” on its website.
A White House official informed CBS News that this alteration is “related to ongoing litigation.” It remains unclear which specific litigation pertaining to the dismantling of USAID led DOGE to exclude information about these canceled contracts from its “Wall of Receipts” site. The official did not provide further details when asked.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the 3,214 USAID contracts displayed on DOGE’s website show only the total contract value and the amount DOGE claims to have saved through cancellations. These canceled contracts account for about 45% of the total contracts itemized on DOGE’s website, contributing to 57% of the $21.6 billion that DOGE asserts it has saved from contract terminations.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that DOGE likely breached the constitution by moving to shut down USAID. The judge issued a preliminary injunction that restricts DOGE from further actions concerning the closure of USAID.
The savings attributed to the USAID contracts alone amount to $12.4 billion; however, several federal contracting experts have criticized DOGE’s approach to calculating these savings as flawed. DOGE utilizes the total potential value of contracts, which often exceeds the actual funds an agency deploys, to estimate savings. An analysis by former USAID data analyst Brian Banks indicates that the real funding cut resulting from USAID contract terminations is closer to $6.7 billion as of Tuesday.
Numerous news outlets, including CBS News, have identified errors in DOGE’s accounting, noting that some contracts have been counted multiple times. While many original errors have been rectified, it remains uncertain if they are still part of the total $103 billion that DOGE claims to have saved.
Under the leadership of billionaire and President Trump’s senior advisor Elon Musk, DOGE initially presented the canceled contracts list as a demonstration of increased transparency.
“We’re very public with what we do,” Musk stated in a March 17 interview with Ted Cruz. “I don’t know how we could be more transparent. Literally every action that we do, small or large, we post on the DOGE.gov website.”
With the USAID contract details removed, the future of international aid programs affected by the task force remains ambiguous.
CBS News obtained an up-to-date list of over 5,000 terminated USAID grants, awards, and contracts as of March 12. The cancellations featured at least $1.39 billion aimed at combating disease and bolstering global health, which included $1.1 billion specifically for malaria control. Additionally, the terminated contracts encompassed at least $171.7 million intended for providing access to food and clean water, along with $435.2 million for education initiatives abroad.
