Background

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has taken over important government technology teams within the General Services Administration (GSA) and the United States Digital Service (USDS). However, this takeover has resulted in the firing of around 200 technologists, putting at risk a decade's worth of work on various projects.

The 18F division, a specialized digital services agency, was particularly affected, with around 90 technologists being fired via a surprise email. This has crippled programs that silently but effectively prepared Americans for weather disasters or streamlined annoying errands, like renewing a passport or filing taxes.

Impact on Projects

The firing of 18F workers has affected several projects, including the IRS's Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to file their taxes directly to the IRS for free. Although the service will remain active, the reduction in staff could make it harder to expand it to the remaining states.

The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs was also affected, as 18F workers were in the middle of building a new system to more efficiently process passport applications. Due to the firings, the bureau is left with significantly reduced capacity and momentum dedicated to this work.

Furthermore, the development of the new Weather.gov website has stopped, and the improvement of its public API could slow dramatically. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also terminated hundreds of workers, which could impact the commercialization of weather forecasting.

Reactions and Concerns

Former 18F workers have expressed concerns about the impact of the firings, stating that the closure of 18F has left a giant hole and that requests from across the country for help far outpaced 18F's capacity before the closure.

Itir Cole, a USDS project lead, resigned from her position after a majority of her team was fired and locked out of their computers. She expressed concerns about the destructive and toxic approach of DOGE, which is driving away skilled workers who can fix the government's problems.

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