DOGE Aims to Cut Spending in Government, But What About the Defense Department?

With Elon Musk using the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the directive of President Donald Trump (R), over a hundred billion taxpayer dollars have been saved. However, the Department of Defense (DOD) boasts a $1.39 trillion budget. Granted, it's only been two months since President Trump came into office, but will Elon Musk and DOGE address the blue whale that is the Defense Department?

Where Should DOGE Start?

The Floridian has learned that the U.S. Army appears to grant "no-bid" contracts to a food service company in the name of emergency, but were all competing companies proven incapable of fulfilling an order efficiently and effectively? The Floridian has learned that this may not be the case.

Is this conducive to a transparent pattern of government spending? Does this promote the tenets of free market capitalism? Doesn't competition seem necessary with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake?

This week, we spoke to Rep. Brian Mast (R), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and asked him about some of the questionable procurement practices that the Department of Defense (D0D) and may be partaking in.

According to the committee, it has "jurisdiction over laws, programs, and agencies under permanent authority in numerous titles of the United States Code, including title 10 (Armed Forces), title 32 (National Guard), title 37 (Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services), title 41 (Public Contracts), title 42 (Atomic Energy), title 46."

Rep. Mast said that the Defense Department is currently in "transition," but that potential favoritism by way of "no-bid" contracts or personal relationships between vendors and and procurement managers, could "point to government corruption," let alone an issue with full transparency.

"You can see how it can be easily exploited," Rep. Mast added when asked about government contracts being granted to outside vendors.

What Are Elected Officials Saying About DOGE And The Defense Department?

Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL) spoke to The Floridian in March regarding DOGE and whether it should cipher through the DOD for potential waste, fraud, and abuse.

Rep. Franklin, a 26-year Navy aviator, provided examples of some of the areas in which the military can be less wasteful and more careful with taxpayer dollars. The Floridian Publisher Javier Manjarres caught up with Rep. Franklin and asked him about how Elon Musk and DOGE should approach the Department of Defense.

"Everything ought to be looked at. I spent a whole career in the military. There's certainly a lot of waste there," said Rep. Franklin.