The Arsonist's Invoice: DOGE at One Year

The Cato Institute -- the libertarian think tank ideologically *built* to celebrate government reduction -- looked at DOGE's first year and found that federal spending rose $248 billion.

DOGE claimed $214 billion in savings. Journalists checked the 13 biggest line items.

Here's the part nobody's talking about: Musk left in May. DOGE was dissolved in November. But OMB Director Russell Vought quietly gave it a $45 million budget, 150 permanent staff, and a 4% increase -- while cutting everyone else.

Federal employee pay is 8% of the budget. DOGE took a chainsaw to the 8% and left the 92% untouched. The result has a name: