Tracking the Harm of DOGE Cuts
The DOGE Tracker, CLASP’s interactive data tool, is designed to help users explore and document the proposed reductions to federal programs under review by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This sortable, filterable spreadsheet compiles program-level information on funding changes—either proposed or enacted—during the current administration. The goal of the DOGE Tracker is to support transparency by providing accessible, regularly updated data to policymakers, researchers, and advocates monitoring the scope and impact of federal budget decisions. All entries include source documentation, relevant timelines, and links to official materials where available.
| Government Agency | DOGE Federal Layoffs | Programs Impacted | Number of Households or People at Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families (HHS) | 900 federal layoffs 40% cuts to Head Start Offices, including 12 regional office (OHS). 25% Cuts to Office of Child Care | OHS manages grants and Head Start programs across the U.S.; Head Start programs help children in early learning, health, and family well-being. | In FY2023, Head Start served over 778,000 children and pregnant people. >>Source |
| Department of Homeland Security, The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (DHS, CRCL) | Over 100 federal layoffs, complete elimination of department | CRCL is charged with ensuring that DHS activities protect individual rights and guarantee equal treatment under the law. | Without the CRCL, there will be no internal watchdog offices left at DHS to assess the legality and effectiveness of, and problems with, the implementation of Trump administration policies on immigration enforcement. The impact is already happening - the illegal deportation of U.S. residents and immigrants to El Salvador, for example. >>Source |
| Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Citizenship & Immigration Services, Ombudsman & Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (USCIS) | Under 50 layoffs, leaving the department dysfunctional | The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman helps members of the public resolve problems with immigration benefits, and the Immigration Detention Ombudsman conducts oversight on conditions at immigration detention centers. | The shutdown of the Ombudsman’s services disproportionately affects immigrants who have relied on its advocacy to overcome bureaucratic obstacles. Specific groups impacted include: H-1B Visa Holders, F-1 International students, Green card applicants Immediate impacts include more pending cases in limbo, loss of indepedent oversight and the increased financial burden on immigrants. Without the Ombudsman, more immigration applicants will likely turn to attorneys and will have to resort to costly processing options to avoid delays in their cases. >>Source |
| Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | 7,000 federal layoffs, with 5,000 of those layoffs toward workers in tax compliance efforts; and with additional plans to slash 45,000 more jobs. | IRS helps households receive their tax returns at a timely manner, administer the EITC, CTC, etc. | With 50K layoffs, the U.S. will lose $12.6 billion in tax revenue in FY2026; these cuts will affect the millions of households who file federal taxes with delays in returns, compliance guidance, and customer service. >>Source |
| Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (ED) | 240 federal layoffs, including all staff at the 12 regional OCR across the country. | The Office of Civil Rights, whose mission was "preventing, identifying, ending, and remedying discrimination against America's students" based on race, national origin, sex, age and disability. | In FY2022, the OCR received 18,804 complaints: Sex Discrimination: 48% (9,498); Disability: 32% (6,467); Race, Color, or National Origin: 17% (3,329); Age Discrimination: 3% (666). >>Source |
| Department of Education's Institute for Research Sciences | More than 100 federal research analysts who specialize in K-12 studies and adult and career education. | The IES is the research division of the Department of Education and administers large-scale efforts studies across K-12 to higher education. For instance, the best ways to teach literacy in the early grades, how to help students with disabilities make the sometimes difficult transition from high school into the working world, etc. | The research collected by IES is used by educators, state and local departments of education, school districts, colleges, and other researchers to better understand student achievement, enrollment, and a host of other important functions that shape the education system in this country. >>Source |
| Center for Disease Control's The National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention (HHS) | Overall, the CDC had 2,400 federal layoffs, roughly 18 percent of its workforce. The Center on HIV and STD Prevention saw 27 percent of its 1,700 staff eliminated. | The CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention works to ensure a future free of HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. The Center works to reduce incidence of infection, morbidity and mortality, and health disparities in the U.S. and abroad. | From 2007 to 2010, the CDC-funded Expanded Testing Initiative sites provided more than 2.8 million HIV tests. This resulted in approximately 18,000 new HIV diagnoses and helped prevent $1.2 billion in direct medical costs, because every $1.00 spent on HIV testing saved the public $2.00. Since then, approximately one-third of all new HIV diagnoses in 2013 were through a CDC-funded HIV test. >>Source |
| Center for Disease Control's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health | Complete elimination of department (1600 federal layoffs) | The CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health prevents work-related illness, injury, disability, and death by gathering information, conducting scientific research, and translating the knowledge gained into products and services, including scientific information products, training videos, and recommendations. | The assault on NIOSH halts services and stops activities critical to the function of the agriculture workforce. such as protecting thousands of workers from H5N1 bird flu. NIOSH also supports over 900,000 farm youth whom are in need of additional workplace safety protections. >>Source |
| Center for Disease Control's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (HHS) | Complete elimination of department | The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which studies how to prevent gun violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. | NCIPC's FY2024 $781 million goes striaght to communities to support locally dirven, evidence-based injury prevention work. Injury is the leading cause of death and hospitalizations for Americans in the first half of life: more Americans ages 1-44 die from injuries and violence - overdose, suicide, motor vehicle crashes, dorwing and homicide - than any other cause. Together, injuries and vioelnce cost the U.S, more than $4 trillion annually. >>Source |
| Center for Disease Control's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (HHS) | Complete elimination of department | This center includes: The Division of Reproductive Health, Division of Population Health, Office of Smoking and Health, Division of Oral Health; As we as any activities funded through: Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Healthy Tribes, Prevention Research Centers, SDOH, Excessive Alcohol Use Prevention, Epilepsy, Lupus, Chronic Disease Education and Awareness, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Interstitial Cystitis | From 2012 to 2018, 16.4 million smokers attempted to quit and 1 million successfully quit because of the Tips® campaign. The Million Hearts® initiative prevented an estimated 135,000 cardiac events from 2012 to 2016, averting $5.6 billion in medical costs. Nearly 800,000 people have enrolled in the National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program. Since 1991, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has served more than 6.2 million women and found 77,968 invasive breast cancers, 5,220 invasive cervical cancers, and 242,261 precancerous cervical lesions. Nearly 2 million middle and high school students are served by the CDC's What Works in Schools program, which improves students' mental health and reduces substance use, sexual risk behavior, and experiences of violence. >>Source |
| National Institute of Health (HHS) | 1,200 federal layoffs, with more expected. | The world's largest public funder of biomedical research; funds nearly $48 billion in scientific research outside the agency. | NIH grants support more than 300,000 medical researchers and 2,500 institutions, incluidng hospitals, medical schools, and universities. >>Source |
| Social Security Administration | 7,000 employees by September (though some of this may be voluntary "fork in road" departures) | Customer service for Social Security, SSDI, and SSI recipients will likely worsen as field offices close and there are fewer staff to answer questions. A potential doubling of disability benefit applications backlog. | In 2023, 71.6 million people received benefits administered by SSA, with 5.8 million people being newly awarded benefits. They are at risk if customer service capacity declines and backlogs increase. >>Source |
| Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Community Living (ACL) | At least 40 percent of federal workers were laid off, with plans to shutter ACL completely. | ACL coordinates federal policy on aging, disability, and anti-poverty programs. The agency funds and works with over 2,500 community organizations nationwide including senior centers, centers for independent living, developmental disabilities, and more. | ACL runs programs like Meals on Wheels, which distributes 216 million meals a year to older and disabled people. >>Source |
| Department of Health and Human Services' Divison of Energy Assistance (HHS) | 24 federal layoffs | This divison helps millions of households with low incomes pay their utility bills | This division within HHS serves approximately 6.2 million households annually and is a $4.1 billion program. >>Source |
| Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | 3,500 federal layoffs | Every office at the FDA has been affected by the layoffs, including FDA's Center for Drug Evaulation and Research, top vaccine regulators, and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. | The FDA protects public health by regulating prescription drugs, medical devices, vaccines, and food safety; it affects nearly every household in the country. >>Source |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 1,300 federal layoffs | NOAA's National Weather Service, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, National Centers for Environmental Information, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meterological Lab. | NOAA oversees many institutions that collect and clean data for tracking the weather and climate change. Fewer employees means less accurate weather forecasts and assessments of the human impact on climate change on the national level and for international partners that rely on the infrastructure the U.S. has in place to gather said data. >>Source |