Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Government waste

Rubio pulls the plug: State Department ends decades-old payout plan for underperforming diplomats
The Daily Caller, Approved, National

Rubio pulls the plug: State Department ends decades-old payout plan for underperforming diplomats

By Reagan Reese | Daily Caller The State Department is ending a program that for decades has given benefits and funds to low-performing diplomats rather than phasing them out of the department, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Caller. Under the Annuity Exception, Foreign Service members have been able to remain on the State Department payroll beyond their scheduled departure from the administration, the internal memo explains. The memo states that the exception violates the Foreign Service Act of 1980, which dictates who receives retirement benefits. “This program is unfortunately the perfect example of the corruption, waste, and abuse that has gone unchecked at the State Department for far too long,” a senior State Department official told the Caller. “This program had s...
Musk rips House-passed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: “Disgusting abomination”
Approved, Daily Wire, National

Musk rips House-passed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: “Disgusting abomination”

By Daniel Chaitin | Daily Wire "Shame on those who voted for it." On Tuesday, tech billionaire Elon Musk unleashed his ire at the House-passed version of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which has the blessing of his former boss, President Donald Trump. The massive bill, which is now being considered by the Republican-led Senate, contains many provisions in line with Trump’s second-term agenda, but also is estimated to add trillions of dollars to the national debt, already nearing $37 trillion. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk said in a post on X. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” He added in another post, “It...
Ganahl: Congress must back DOGE to cut waste and energize GOP voters for 2026
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Ganahl: Congress must back DOGE to cut waste and energize GOP voters for 2026

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—led by Elon Musk—is lighting a fire under Republican voters ready to rip out Washington’s waste at the roots. Launched in February 2025 via Executive Order 14158, DOGE has identified $175 billion in savings through asset sales, contract cancellations, and fraud crackdowns, including more than 12 million supposed Social Security recipients listed as over 120 years old—zombie accounts draining taxpayer dollars.  DOGE’s mission to eliminate waste has the people behind it—73% of Americans, including 89% of Republicans, support the effort. That kind of backing makes it a political powerhouse. Yet, as of now, Congress has not voted on codifying DOGE’s p...
DOGE deactivates 500,000 government-issued credit cards
National, Trending Politics

DOGE deactivates 500,000 government-issued credit cards

By Cullen McCue | Trending Politics The Department of Government Efficiency announced Wednesday that it had deactivated more than 500,000 government-issued credit cards as part of a rapidly-expanding audit that is expected to result in additional deactivations. “The program to audit unused/unneeded credit cards has been expanded to 32 agencies. After 10 weeks, more than 500K cards have been de-activated,” DOGE announced in an X post. The department noted that at the start of the audit, there were roughly 4.6 million active credit cards or accounts.When DOGE last provided an update on its credit card audit on March 11, the department had cancelled a little more than 200,000 cards across 16 agencies, representing a massive increase of cancellations in the latest update. “So still more ...
DOGE is terminating $9.4M in leases across Colorado
Approved, kdvr.com, State

DOGE is terminating $9.4M in leases across Colorado

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox31 News Government agencies nationwide are experiencing spending cuts and layoffs with billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and leases for property across Colorado are on the list. DOGE posted a “Wall of Receipts” on its website, listing contract, grant and lease cancellations. Over $9.4 million in leases are included, totaling 355,000 square feet. FOX31 matched the list to the U.S. General Services Administration’s inventory of federal government leases, which provided additional information, including addresses. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 NEWS
Supreme Court sides with Trump in USAID funding dispute for now
Approved, National, Washington Examiner

Supreme Court sides with Trump in USAID funding dispute for now

By Kaelan Deese | Washington Examiner The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court order that told the Trump administration to release nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments by midnight on Wednesday in the dispute over its hold on U.S. Agency for International Development funds. The Justice Department in an emergency filing contended that the administration needs more time to review outstanding payments for fraud and abuse and warned that complying with the rushed timeline could lead to irreversible financial harm. Without issuing comment about the merits of the case, the Supreme Court told parties to file additional responses to their chambers by Friday, according to a brief order by Chief Justice John Roberts. “The order does...
OPM instructs agencies to turn over plans for mass government layoffs
Approved, National, THE HILL

OPM instructs agencies to turn over plans for mass government layoffs

By  Rebecca Beitsch | The Hill A Wednesday memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directs agencies across government to turn over plans for widespread layoffs of federal employees by March 13. The memo, which provides more specific guidance after a Feb. 11 executive order from President Trump mandating layoffs, requires agencies to break down their plans for a reduction in force and broader restructuring of their agencies. It also indicates the White House is eager to speed the shedding of federal workers, noting OPM can cut in half the 60-day notification period for employees being laid off, meaning swift-moving agencies could begin notifying affected employees as soon as April. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HI...
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s ‘festivus’ report highlights more than $1 trillion in federal waste
Approved, Breitbart, National

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s ‘festivus’ report highlights more than $1 trillion in federal waste

By Hannah Knudsen | Breitbart The federal government wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on a number of absurd and bizarre projects, including securing the Paraguayan border, studies on lonely rats and their relationship to cocaine, and “various magical projects.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Monday released his annual Festivus report chock-full of grievances after another year of incredibly wasteful spending. This year, he is highlighting over $1 trillion in government waste. “Who’s to blame for our crushing national debt? Everybody. This year, members of both political parties in Congress voted for massive spending bills, filled with subsidies for underperforming industries, continued military aid to Ukraine, and controversial climate initiatives,” Paul wrote in the report. READ ...