In yet another stunning example of government waste, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has exposed the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department for spending nearly $60,000 just to water eight plants over a five-year period. That’s an astonishing $1,400 per plant per year—a perfect symbol of how bloated and inefficient Washington has become under Democratic leadership.

Thankfully, VA Secretary Doug Collins, working alongside DOGE, is stepping in to slash wasteful spending and redirect funds to where they belong—our nation’s veterans. The VA promptly canceled the absurd plant-watering contract and announced that DOGE staff will now take care of the plants at no cost.

“This is why we talk about efficiency and getting the job done for veterans,” Collins said in a video statement. “We’ve already identified nearly $2 billion in unnecessary contracts that we’re cutting—money that can and will be redirected to healthcare benefits for our veterans.”

Collins didn’t stop at the outrageous plant-watering contract. He pulled back the curtain on other shocking examples of waste that the Biden administration’s bureaucratic machine has allowed to continue unchecked.

“We were paying millions of dollars for things like PowerPoint slides and meeting minutes,” Collins revealed. “Folks, if you don’t know how to run PowerPoint, there’s a tutorial on your computer—learn it for free! Take your own notes. I’ll send you one of my pencils if you need one.”

Collins also blasted the ridiculous “coaching and training” contracts that were draining taxpayer dollars. “If you need coaching and training, that’s what your supervisor is for,” he said. “And if your supervisor can’t coach or train you, then they shouldn’t be in that job.”

Perhaps the most outrageous revelation was the millions wasted on “executive support”—essentially paying outside consultants to do the jobs federal employees should already know how to do. “We don’t need outside people coming in to tell us how to do things,” Collins declared. “We can figure it out ourselves.”

The VA, under Collins’ leadership, is cleaning house and refusing to let career bureaucrats squander taxpayer dollars while veterans wait for the care and support they deserve. But this fight isn’t over—Collins made it clear that more wasteful spending is being unearthed and will be eliminated in the coming months.

“There’s more coming,” Collins promised. “Don’t believe the lies that DC wants to tell you. We are putting money back into veterans’ healthcare and benefits, and I promise you, from day one, we’re going to take care of our veterans.”

This is precisely the America First approach that is desperately needed to rein in runaway government waste and prioritize real Americans over bureaucratic bloat. While Biden’s Washington throws away money on pointless contracts, conservatives are stepping up to ensure veterans actually get the care and benefits they have earned.