DOGE uncovers VA contract to pay $380K per month for minor website modifications

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) discovered a contract for monthly website maintenance for which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The contract was canceled, and the work was handed over to an internal staffer, according to DOGE.

“Good work by @DeptVetAffairs,” the department’s account posted on X Wednesday. “VA was previously paying ~$380,000/month for minor website modifications. That contract has not been renewed, and the same work is now being executed by 1 internal VA software engineer spending ~10 hours/week.”

Good work by @DeptVetAffairs

VA was previously paying ~$380,000/month for minor website modifications. That contract has not been renewed and the same work is now being executed by 1 internal VA software engineer spending ~10 hours/week.

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) April 2, 2025

On its website, DOGE reports that it has, thus far, saved Americans $140 billion in cutting waste and fraud. That amount, per the site, amounts to about $869.57 per taxpayer.

U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins addressed the job cuts at the agency saying it will mean “better quality health care and benefits” for veterans.

“Our metrics are flat or getting worse. Maybe the answer isn’t just more money or people. Maybe it’s actually an organizational, structural issue,” the former Georgia congressman told WXYZ.

“Don’t scare my veterans. Or my employees. We are working a methodical pattern to make their life better. That may mean less employees but the ones we have will be back in roles that help our veterans,” he said.

Social media users reacted to the DOGE announcement about the canceled VA contract, calling out the “insane” monthly payment amount.

Lmao… so previously we were paying $380K/month for 10 hours / week worth of work.

Or $380K per 40 hours of work.

Or $9,500 / hour.

Which is a $19 MILLION / year salary pro-rated on a 40-hour week.

For a single web designer.

— The Big Picture (@Big_Picture_89) April 2, 2025

That sounds about right.

Imagine all the vets who can be helped with an extra $4 million or more a year.

— Simon Unleashed (@SimonSaysKnow) April 2, 2025

$4,560,000 per year for minor website mods is insane

— Ben Silone (@bsilone) April 2, 2025

HTML programming isn’t hard – but $380k a month for someone to make minor changes? That’s just plain crazy.

— jll3sonex2 (@jll3sonex2) April 2, 2025

Whomever approved that contract is hopefully no longer working at the VA.
The company that knew they were fleecing taxpayers should be ashamed of themselves.

— jessica0917 (@jessica0917) April 2, 2025

DOGE keeps working for We The People.

— Tim Cardella (@speeed369) April 2, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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