WASHINGTON (AP) — New Government Efficiency Bureaupresident donald trump A special committee tasked with cutting federal spending has officially joined the government, which is said to help with the downsizing.
A series of executive orders signed by President Trump on his first day in office included one to rename the U.S. Digital Service the U.S. DOGE Service. Furthermore, he ordered the establishment of DOGE within the presidential palace.
The digital service was created by the president. barack obama To modernize the government's approach to technology in 2014. Its main original mission is Solve many glitches and digital problems The issue hampered the rollout of HealthCare.gov, a site tied to President Obama's signature health care law, on which President Trump spent most of his budget. political career bashing.
Let's take a look at what being part of the government means to DOGE.
Pledges billions of dollars in savings
When President Trump announced the creation of the Office of Government Efficiency in November, he said the agency would “provide advice and guidance from outside the government.”
DOGE was initially led by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamyjointly I swore It would cut billions of dollars from the federal budget and result in “massive layoffs throughout the federal bureaucracy.”
But Ramaswami left DOGE is considering running for governor of Ohio this week.
Website references referendum 'for major reforms'
government website, doge.govwas created to accompany @DOGE on the Musk-owned social media platform X.
This webpage includes a message describing it as an “official website” of the U.S. government. Below that, in white letters on a black background, are written “Department of Government Efficiency'' and “The People Voted for Major Reform.''
The site has circulated various memes since its launch. They include one with the DOGE logo, which features a cheerful cartoon dog holding an American flag, and another with an image of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. mascotKabosu, a Shiba Inu, died in Japan in May last year.
Making new organizations part of the government could allow for easier access to information across government agencies. And even if some regulations regarding government disclosure remain in place, the agency could still do much of its work behind closed doors.
For example, the Office of the President is typically not subject to many requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. However, it is presidential records actThis means that records must be maintained.
A legal challenge has been filed
You can get an early test of how public DOGE needs to be.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court shortly after Trump took office, alleges that DOGE was already operating in the months leading up to the administration, in violation of the Federal Advisory Committees Act. This was a 1972 measure that required executive branch advisory committees and other civilian boards to follow public rules regarding their staffing and activities.
The groups behind this lawsuit include good government advocates and watchdog groups currently reviewing President Trump's order to integrate DOGE into the government.
“The work to date has been under a veil of secrecy with many concerns,” said Democracy Forward, a national legal group that often challenges the first Trump administration in court and serves as plaintiffs' counsel. Skye Perryman, CEO of In a lawsuit. “We still have various legal issues.”
Some employees may be temporary
As part of his executive order, President Trump created a temporary organization within DOGE that expires on July 4th.
Creating such an organization may make it easier to hire temporary employees or recruit volunteers. They are likely not subject to the same ethics and transparency requirements that apply to regular federal employees. Still, federal law generally requires such workers, even those who donate their time, to abide by some rules regarding conflicts of interest.
Musk has already hinted that volunteers will be a big part of DOGE. In November, he posted on .
Effect on musk
President Trump's order does not mention Musk personally. But now that DOGE is part of the government, the billionaire entrepreneur's ties to the government mean DOGE is involved with the government. There is a risk of violating Unless he exits the business or recuses himself from government matters related to the business, he cannot comply with federal conflict of interest laws. However, the definition of what necessitates avoidance is ambiguous.
One way to gain more freedom in this area and protect himself from federal transparency and disclosure guidelines could be for Mr. Musk to become a “special government official,” meaning he could be appointed to a federal position. To join the federal workforce as a person. Maximum 130 days. But the new administration has not yet announced whether Musk will formally join the government as part of the DOGE effort.
Noah Bookbinder, president and CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said doing so would not eliminate all ethics and disclosure requirements, but it would change how some are applied. He said it was possible.
“There are still a lot of unknowns,” Bookbinder said. His group is among those suing the Trump administration over DOGE. “I think this is a really important point. They've now issued this order. But what they haven't really done is articulate how this is going to work.”
