The General Services Administration is the latest part of the federal government targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, as it looks to cut waste and cost.
The GSA manages government contracts and the federal government’s real estate and is widely viewed as a prime place for DOGE to make cuts. Over 12,000 people work for the GSA, which reported $39.3 billion in revenue in 2024. The total budget was over $61 billion, up $2.2 billion from 2023.
Reports indicate that agency employees have had interviews with DOGE staffers, who are determining cuts to streamline and save money at the GSA.
A report from Politico found that various employees, mostly project managers, were worried about the future of their jobs as Musk looks to remove layers of the bureaucracy.
“Most people are trying to hype their technical skills,” an anonymous project manager told the outlet. “They don’t think DOGE people respect the softer ‘moving complex projects through government bureaucracy’ types of skills.”
The new interim head of the GSA, installed by President Donald Trump, said at a staff town hall meeting that the agency should cut its budget in half via a smaller workforce and ending several contracts it has.
“We will be implementing a performance culture that will evaluate everyone based on key performance metrics,” acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian wrote in an email in January. “There will be further consolidation of office and centralization of functions. This plan is actively being worked on, but will not be finalized before Feb. 6.”
As the thousands of employees in the GSA await their fate, a report from NPR also suggests that those who remain at the agency are worried they will be closely monitored as part of the changes being implemented by DOGE.
The changes at the GSA could have wider effects on the federal government due to how the agency works with and develops policies and support for other parts of the federal government.
While the GSA is the latest agency in the spotlight for DOGE changes, various other parts of the bureaucracy have been targeted for cuts and changes by the Musk operation in the Trump administration.
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Musk defended DOGE’s actions throughout the federal government alongside Trump in the White House on Tuesday.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk told reporters. “That’s what democracy is all about.”