On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, officially establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-saving initiative led by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The executive order revealed new information about DOGE’s objectives and framework, including a directive to enhance the government’s IT systems.
Mr. Trump initially introduced DOGE in November, stating that the initiative would “offer advice and guidance from outside of Government.” He emphasized in his November announcement that the aim would be to provide recommendations to “reduce unnecessary regulations, eliminate wasteful expenditures, and reorganize federal agencies.”
Musk and Ramaswamy articulated in a November opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal their intention to trim $500 billion from federal expenditures annually by focusing on “expenses that lack Congressional approval or are utilized in ways not intended by Congress.”
However, the executive order clarifies that DOGE will actually be part of the executive branch, rather than functioning as an external advisory entity. The order also mentions that an existing White House office known as the U.S. Digital Service, which primarily focuses on enhancing government websites and technology, will be renamed the U.S. DOGE Service.
The primary mission of DOGE is to “execute the President’s DOGE Agenda by modernizing Federal technology and software to optimize governmental efficiency and productivity,” the executive order states.
Although the executive order does not provide specifics on reducing federal spending, eliminating regulations, or reorganizing federal agencies, the absence of these details does not imply that DOGE will not address these issues while also overseeing upgrades to federal IT infrastructure.
The Trump administration has yet to respond to requests for comments.
DOGE lawsuits
This executive order arrives amid multiple lawsuits against DOGE regarding its structure and activities, with the cases being filed shortly after Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The lawsuits allege that since DOGE was functioning as a federal advisory committee, it violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which governs the operations and transparency of federal advisory committees, necessitating public operation and representation from affected individuals.
However, with Mr. Trump’s executive order establishing DOGE as a component within the executive branch, it appears the initiative will no longer operate as a federal advisory committee. Democracy Forward, representing some groups suing DOGE, stated that the executive order would not change their course of action.
“Our legal team is examining yesterday’s executive orders. DOGE has been functioning in secrecy and not in compliance with federal law for some time, which cannot be altered by the orders issued yesterday,” said Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, in a statement.
Additionally, National Security Counselors, another public service organization suing DOGE, mentioned that it “has no reason to believe the entity established by the recent executive order is the same as the advisory committee we are litigating against.”
“The executive order has certainly complicated matters, but ultimately, the key factor will be what the new U.S. DOGE Service actually does and how it operates,” said Kel McClanahan, executive director of National Security Counselors, on Tuesday. “It’s hard to envision the extensive DOGE described by Musk and Ramaswamy suddenly shifting to solely modernize government IT systems.”
Ramaswamy leaving DOGE
In the meantime, DOGE is set to lose one of its co-leaders, as Ramaswamy announced on social media on January 20 that he is stepping back from the initiative. Ramaswamy is expected to announce his campaign for Ohio governor before the end of January, as reported by CBS News.
“It was an honor to contribute to the formation of DOGE. I have confidence that Elon and his team will succeed in streamlining government operations,” Ramaswamy said.
According to Mr. Trump’s executive order, DOGE will function as a “temporary organization” focused on “promoting the President’s 18-month DOGE agenda.” The order indicates that DOGE will conclude on July 4, 2026.
On Monday, Trump noted that DOGE would consist of “approximately 20 people” in its office.
The U.S. Digital Service currently employs about 230 individuals, with recent contributions from the unit including assistance to the IRS on its new Direct File service and enhancing the Social Security Administration’s website. DOGE states that its work with the SSA is projected to save the agency around $285 million in infrastructure costs over five years.
