Federal watchdog DOGE terminates Louisiana agency leases as part of nationwide cost-cutting effort

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Several Louisiana federal agency offices are losing their leases as part of a nationwide cost-cutting effort led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal watchdog created under the Trump administration to streamline government spending and reduce waste.

The DOGE website, which tracks government cost-saving measures, claims the initiative has saved over $105 billion across the country through asset sales, contract cancellations, fraud eliminations, and lease terminations. The estimated savings per taxpayer is $652.17 as of March 6.

Among the terminated Louisiana agency leases, the largest cost-cutting measure involves the Social Security Administration in Houma, which had an annual lease cost of over $550,000. The agency’s lease was terminated as an “agency-approved lease termination,” meaning the agency itself agreed to vacate the office.

The lease terminations were listed on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts”, which details government spending cuts. These include “Mass Mod” terminations—leases canceled through mass modifications—and terminations due to office closures or agency consolidations.

Louisiana federal agency leases terminated by DOGE:

Agency	Location	Savings Amount	Annual Lease Cost	Termination Type
Social Security Administration	Houma, La.	$965,564	$551,751	Agency Approved Lease Termination
Bureau of Minerals Management Service	New Orleans, La.	$20,370	$17,460	Termination via Mass Mod
Inspector General for Tax Administration	Baton Rouge, La.	$40,826	$28,818	Termination via Mass Mod
Bureau of Minerals Management Service	Houma, La.	$858,919	$429,459	Termination via Mass Mod
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)	Baton Rouge, La.	$109,346	$187,451	Termination via Mass Mod
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)	Baton Rouge, La.	$59,251	$71,102	Termination via Mass Mod
National Park Service	New Orleans, La.	$297,208	$46,928	Termination via Mass Mod
Indian Health Service-Nashville	Opelousas, La.	$22,931	$25,015	Termination via Mass Mod

The DOGE initiative & Louisiana’s response

DOGE was launched in early 2025 as part of a government-wide push to reduce wasteful spending by eliminating unnecessary federal programs, renegotiating contracts, and downsizing government office space. The initiative, spearheaded by Elon Musk in his role as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, has rapidly executed widespread spending cuts.

In Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry has introduced a state-level version of DOGE, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Program. Announced in December 2024, the program is designed to audit state expenditures and identify areas for financial optimization. In February, Landry’s office announced a partnership with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor to implement efficiency measures and engage residents in identifying potential cost savings.

“The state has been implementing DOGE measures since I was attorney general,” Landry said in a post on X on Feb 11.

The governor’s office confirmed the Louisiana Legislative Auditor will maintain its independent oversight functions as required by state law. Residents can submit cost-saving suggestions by emailing LADOGE@LLA.LA.GOV.

What’s next?

With lease terminations continuing nationwide, some agencies may need to relocate, consolidate, or shut down operations in certain areas. DOGE has terminated hundreds of federal leases across the country, impacting offices for the IRS, Social Security Administration, and environmental agencies.

The General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal properties, responded to Louisiana First News with a statement, saying it is evaluating “all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization.” The agency added that a “component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases.”

The statement provided to Louisiana First News was the same response previously sent to KNWA, our Fayetteville, Arkansas-based sister station, which also reported on federal lease terminations in its region.

Louisiana officials have not yet commented on the impact of these lease cancellations. However, as federal budget reductions continue, additional terminations may be forthcoming.

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