USDA Cancels $2.5 Billion in Unnecessary Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the cancellation of $2.5 billion in grants deemed wasteful. This decision comes from a review by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to DOGE, the USDA eliminated 420 grants, resulting in savings of $2.3 billion. Some of the projects funded by these grants included $361,000 allocated for programs supporting "gender non-conforming, non-binary, two-spirit" BIPOC farmers in New York. Furthermore, an additional $150,000 was spent on curricula aimed at promoting gender education in agriculture and related fields.
The cuts weren’t limited to domestic initiatives. The USDA also directed $100,000 towards climate resilience and sustainable agriculture projects in Ghana, showing a focus that may not align with pressing domestic needs.
Beyond these specific cuts, federal agencies have canceled 179 contracts valued at $1.87 billion, saving an additional $280 million. Some of the questionable expenditures included $207,000 on a grant writing workshop by the Department of Health and Human Services and a $89,000 contract from the Treasury Department for a country program manager in Namibia.
These measures reflect a more cautious approach towards federal funding, focusing on areas that deliver real benefits to American taxpayers while reining in unnecessary spending.
