Ron DeSantis launched a Florida version of the Department of Government Efficiency months before Trump’s federal program took shape.
But a closer look at the Florida Governor’s claims shows most of his “savings” never existed in the first place.
And Ron DeSantis took a surgical approach to Florida’s DOGE that left Elon Musk stunned.
Donald Trump promised to Drain the Swamp during his campaign and tapped Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after taking office in January.
The federal DOGE has been making headlines with massive cuts, firing federal employees, and canceling contracts that have sent shockwaves through Washington.
But Florida’s version of DOGE, established by Governor Ron DeSantis in February, has been much quieter.
DeSantis and his team claim that’s by design.
“The fiscal responsibility of the State allows the Florida DOGE Team to be more surgical in its review of financial records, compared with the federal DOGE efforts, which have been forced to take drastic and sweeping measures due to the fiscal irresponsibility in D.C. over the last many decades,” DeSantis spokesperson Molly Best said in an email.
But a closer look at the numbers tells a different story.
DeSantis touts DOGE victories that don’t add up
DeSantis has boasted about nearly $1 billion in savings discovered by Florida DOGE, which is led by Eric Soskin, a former U.S. Department of Justice official and Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
However, the vast majority of that $878 million wasn’t actual cuts to state spending.
Instead, it was simply budget authority to use federal funds for refugee and transportation programs that Florida chose not to accept.
Of the $878 million DeSantis claims as savings, $558 million was intended for a federally-funded refugee program administered by states.
President Trump shut down this program with an executive order (currently being challenged in court).
Ironically, the DeSantis administration had previously requested $33.4 million more for this very program in 2022 to address a backlog of 51,000 refugees waiting on health assessments and immunizations.
Another $320 million was tied to a Biden administration carbon reduction program that Florida rejected. DeSantis had been trying to return about $50 million and reject the rest since 2023.
In other words, these weren’t efficiency savings discovered by DOGE.
They were federal funds Florida had already decided not to use.
What has Florida’s DOGE actually accomplished?
So far, it appears very little.
DeSantis’ DOGE executive order directed teams to probe state colleges and universities.
The only specific discovery they’ve announced is an $800,000 federal grant at the University of West Florida connected to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which are now banned in Florida schools.
According to the governor’s office, 30 counties and 40 cities and special districts have agreed to work with DOGE teams to identify waste in their budgets.
But this seems redundant, as Florida already audits colleges, universities, and local government entities.
Best said the Florida DOGE’s efforts have generated “more than 60 actions which are providing improved value to Florida taxpayers, with examples including IT license optimization, workspace right-sizing, and deployment of contract methodologies which improve delivery time and reduce unnecessary costs.”
She added that more than 100 additional actions are on the way.
But when asked for specifics about how much these efforts might save taxpayers, Best didn’t provide any numbers or goals.
Florida already has a government efficiency task force
Florida already has a dedicated board for finding government savings – the Florida Government Efficiency Task Force.
This 15-member board meets every four years, with members appointed by the governor, House speaker, and Senate president.
During DeSantis’ tenure, the panel has produced remarkably thin reports compared to previous administrations.
The 2020 report was just eight pages, while the 2024 report was a mere five pages focused only on state planning documents.
By comparison, the 2012 report (before DeSantis) was 136 pages with detailed recommendations estimated to save $3 billion over four years.
Budget battles overshadow DOGE efforts
Florida’s Legislature is currently deadlocked in a bitter stalemate over the state budget.
House Speaker Daniel Perez (R-Miami) wants permanent sales tax cuts, while Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) worries such cuts would leave the state unable to provide services to a growing population.
A framework for compromise that included a smaller sales tax cut fell apart when DeSantis threatened to veto any sales tax reduction that might interfere with his own push for property tax cuts.
Democrats in the Legislature aren’t worried about Florida’s DOGE having much impact.
“(DeSantis) was trying to mimic the federal government with their DOGE but didn’t think it through, much like the DOGE at the federal level which has just taken a chainsaw to federal government,” House Democrat Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said in an interview. “But here in Florida there’s been, I think, ideas or concepts of a plan for what DOGE will do. But we haven’t seen any execution.”
DeSantis’ executive order requires DOGE teams to submit a report with recommendations by September 30.
But with the budget impasse continuing, even Democrats acknowledge that while drastic cuts remain possible, they likely won’t come from the Florida DOGE initiative.
“There’s still time on the clock for that. It just seems though DOGE has not been a factor in conversations so far,” Driskell said. “Because the plans have been so poorly outlined and thinly articulated it’s difficult to understand how they could have any impact.”
While Musk’s federal DOGE continues making dramatic cuts in Washington, D.C., Florida’s version appears to be all bark and very little bite at the moment.
