DOGE’s Rapid Overhaul Neglects Present Government Needs: Werfel

Last week, the city of Washington, D.C., and the Washington Commanders announced a deal to construct a $3 billion new stadium, planning to open it for the 2030 season. The announcement will trigger a lot of excitement and chatter across the region about the stadium’s design, the planned amenities, and what stadium-goers can expect in terms of a more modern experience.

What won’t get much attention is a critical decision the Commanders ownership group faces: What ongoing investments, if any, should it make to the old stadium to ensure at least an adequate fan experience for the next five seasons while the team’s new digs are under construction?

I confronted a related question often when I served in government leadership positions. For instance, a new computer system for the IRS will take three years before it’s fully deployed, but we still need the old system to work effectively for taxpayers in the meantime. Likewise, the Commanders can’t let the old stadium fail so completely that fans have a miserable customer experience—or worse, an unsafe one for several years.

As we reach the 100-day milestone of the Department of Government Efficiency, the initiative now confronts the same conundrum. As described by its leaders, its bold plan is to transform government services into something far more modern, effective, and efficient. Just as I cheer the announcement of Washington’s new football stadium, I cheer this vision of an improved government.

But what happens to government services while this vision is being constructed but before it’s fully deployed? Will existing systems be properly maintained to ensure citizens are adequately served in the months or years in the interim?

Or will government services be stripped down to their studs—leaving citizens nowhere to turn if they, for example, need help from the Social Security Administration, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or the IRS?

Evidence points more to the latter outcome. DOGE leaders have said they plan to “delete” everything they believe isn’t working well today. We’re seeing this deletion in real time, with a chainsaw as the symbol and massive government layoffs as the reality. As a result, DOGE is the most explosive and consequential government efficiency initiative ever undertaken.

I understand the profound difference between DOGE and its predecessors from direct experience. In 2012, I was selected by then-Vice President Joe Biden’s office to quarterback the Obama administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste.

This campaign and similar efforts from past administrations didn’t make nearly as many headlines. They paced themselves differently from DOGE, often taking time to find the middle ground of ensuring that existing capabilities were maintained while new capabilities were developed.

Such incremental change gets less attention, and often (rightfully) leads taxpayers to believe the government’s gears grind too slowly. But DOGE’s opposite method comes with a large price.

I am a fan of disruption—and of leaving behind the old way of doing business for a new one. I also think it’s fair to look at the recent track record in government and determine it was incremental to a fault. But a bolder and faster approach isn’t inherently better; you also need to effectively manage the transition.

As a Commanders fan, I will go to the old stadium frequently over the next five seasons. But if during that period, most of the bathroom toilets don’t work, the parking lot fills with untreated potholes, and the ticket or concession lines move too slowly because they’re understaffed, then I think the team’s ownership group will risk eroding their relationship with fans. It would show they failed to manage the transition from the old to the new in a smart, strategic way.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Danny Werfel served as the 50th commissioner of the IRS from March 2023 to January 2025.

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