Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Angus King, I-Maine, said the use of AI to identify agency contracts for termination “adds an entire new level of unease connected to the decision-making, security, governance, and quality control of the entire process.”
USDS, the White House team DOGE took over in January, was a flagship civic tech organization. Six months later, civic tech is figuring out what’s next.
The Senate will take up this initial effort to codify some Department of Government Efficiency cuts after it finishes work on the budget reconciliation package.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said DOGE’s use of an AI tool resulted in the “wholesale slashing” of VA contracts.
The request would support an estimated 150 full time employees, 80% of whom would be paid out of agency reimbursements, rather than DOGE-specific funds.
The Trump administration has endeavored to streamline the agency’s contracting and procurement processes while putting in mechanisms to shed its workforce.
Sahil Lavingia detailed in a personal blog how the reality of hunting inefficiencies at the Department of Veterans Affairs was not what he had expected.
A new version of Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 10 removes prescriptive requirements and adds a "practitioner album" with the goal of streamlining research processes.
Frank Bisignano said he has no current plans to institute further reductions in force and hopes to use AI to make the historically sluggish Social Security disability determination processes move faster.
Combined with those employees that have been impacted by reductions in force, the losses amount to nearly a quarter of what the agency’s workforce totals were last fall.