EO 14222: Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Cost Efficiency Initiative

TLDR

This executive order requires agency heads to create systems tracking all federal contract/grant payments with public justifications, review existing contracts within 30 days with authority to modify/terminate, freezes government credit cards for 30 days, restricts non-essential travel, mandates proper real property management, and exempts certain security-related functions. While within presidential authority to manage executive agencies, implementation could face legal challenges if it restricts congressionally appropriated funds or violates existing contractual obligations.

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at transforming federal spending on contracts, grants, and loans to increase transparency and accountability. This order establishes several significant changes to how government agencies manage and report their expenditures.

The order requires all agency heads to build centralized technological systems to record every payment made under federal contracts and grants, with each payment requiring a written justification from the approving employee. These justifications will generally be made public, creating unprecedented transparency in federal spending.

Agency heads must review all existing contracts and grants within 30 days, with authority to terminate or modify them to reduce spending or reallocate funds. The review specifically prioritizes examining funds given to educational institutions and foreign entities for potential waste, fraud, and abuse.

All government credit cards are frozen for 30 days, with exceptions for disaster relief, natural disaster response, and other critical services as determined by agency heads.

The order creates a new system requiring written justification for all federally funded travel for conferences and “non-essential purposes,” with these justifications to be made public.

Agencies must ensure accurate inventory of government-owned real property, evaluate termination rights under existing leases, and develop plans for disposing of unneeded government property.

The order explicitly exempts several categories from its requirements:

• Law enforcement officers and contracts related to criminal or immigration law enforcement
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Uniformed Services
• Classified information and systems
• Other exemptions as determined by agency heads in consultation with DOGE Team Leads

This executive order operates within the President’s constitutional authority to manage the executive branch. Article II of the Constitution grants the President power to direct executive agencies and ensure laws are faithfully executed. The order primarily addresses internal executive branch operations and procedures for managing federal spending, which falls within presidential authority.

However, the order raises potential separation of powers questions if its implementation significantly restricts funds appropriated by Congress for specific purposes. Congress holds the “power of the purse” under Article I, and while presidents have some discretion in implementing appropriated funds, they cannot refuse to spend appropriated funds without congressional approval (as established in the 1975 Train v. City of New York Supreme Court case).

The broad authority given to agency heads to terminate contracts could also raise due process concerns if existing contractual obligations are terminated without proper procedures. Additionally, the public disclosure requirements may face challenges if they conflict with existing privacy laws or contractual confidentiality provisions.

The creation of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) referenced in this order may face scrutiny if it establishes new executive branch structures without congressional authorization, though presidents have historically had latitude to organize executive functions.

Overall, while the core functions of the order appear to fall within presidential authority to manage executive agencies, specific implementations could face legal challenges if they infringe on congressional spending authority or contractual rights.

ACTIONS

• 2025-03-21: Trump Admin Threatens to Stop Social Security If DOGE Can’t Have Data — Trump’s interim Social Security chief has threatened to shut down the agency’s IT systems, potentially halting payments to 71 million Americans, if Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cannot access non-anonymized personal data of Social Security recipients. This threat comes after a judge issued a restraining order barring DOGE from accessing personally identifiable information due to privacy law violations.
• 2025-03-21: USPS workers in Portland, Bangor to rally against 10,000 job cuts | Ground News — U.S. Postal Service workers across the country are rallying against proposed cuts of 10,000 jobs, as announced by the Postmaster General in a letter to Congress. Unions are concerned about the potential privatization of the Postal Service and its impact on mail service and jobs. Local rallies are set in cities like Portland and Bangor, where union leaders fear significant negative effects on the community. NALC President Brian L. Renfroe emphasized the need for public support against the proposed cuts and privatization efforts.
• 2025-03-20: Republicans want Elon Musk to shut up about Social Security — Senate Republicans want Elon Musk to stop discussing Social Security, concerned that his comments calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and plans to cut Social Security Administration staff are politically damaging. GOP lawmakers fear these actions will negatively impact constituents and play into Democrats’ hands during election season.
• 2025-03-20: Farewell to the US Postal Service | more than 10,000 employees will be laid off following the agreement signed with DOGE — The United States Postal Service has confirmed plans to lay off more than 10,000 employees as part of a cost-cutting measure in collaboration with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Despite generating $78 billion annually, USPS continues to struggle financially due to mismanagement of retirement funds and labor compensation.
• 2025-03-15: Staff cuts at federal agencies overseeing US dams could put public safety at risk, critics warn | AP News — Trump administration workforce cuts at federal agencies overseeing U.S. dams are threatening their ability to provide reliable electricity, supply farmers with water, and protect communities from floods. Critics warn that the reduction of nearly 400 workers at the Bureau of Reclamation and potential layoffs at other agencies could put public safety at risk and negatively impact water delivery systems.
• 2025-03-10: USDA cuts over $1 billion in funding for schools, local food purchases — The USDA has cut over $1 billion in funding for two programs that helped schools and food banks purchase food from local farms and ranches. The $660 million Local Food for Schools program for 2025 and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which would have provided about $500 million to support food banks, have been eliminated by the Trump administration as part of efforts to reduce federal government spending.
• 2025-03-06: Social Security Workers Aren’t Allowed to Read This Story | WIRED — The Social Security Administration has implemented new internet restrictions that block employees from accessing “general news” websites including WIRED, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, with the changes coming weeks after DOGE engineers were installed at the agency and amid plans to cut 7,000 employees. The restrictions were announced in an email to all SSA employees on March 6, 2025, stating that effective immediately, categories of prohibited websites include online shopping, general news, and sports, though the criteria for blocking specific sites remains unclear.
• 2025-03-05: Elon Musk suggests the U.S. should privatize the Postal Service and Amtrak — Elon Musk suggested privatizing the U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak during a virtual appearance at a technology conference. President Trump has previously floated the idea of privatizing the USPS and is considering folding it into the Commerce Department.
• 2025-03-04: Trump team guts Pentagon office focused on reducing civilian deaths | The Washington Post — The Pentagon is set to significantly reduce its Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which focuses on minimizing civilian casualties in military operations, with about half of the office’s workforce being offered buyouts or termination as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to scale back civilian harm protections in favor of military “lethality.” This shift, which includes granting commanders more authority to approve strikes without higher-level authorization, has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers who argue these changes undermine systems designed to limit civilian casualties and could ultimately harm U.S. national security interests.
• 2025-03-04: U.S. State Department Shuts Down Pollution Monitoring Abroad | The New York Times — The Trump administration has shut down a global air quality monitoring program that had been operating at 80 U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide since 2008, citing budget constraints. The program provided valuable public data about pollution levels in cities like New Delhi, Jakarta, and Buenos Aires, which supported research, helped foreign service officers make health decisions, and led to air quality improvements in countries like China.
• 2025-03-04: Non-core property list | GSA — President Trump seeks to put 443 federal properties up for sale. Properties include HHS and HUD headquarters in D.C.
• 2025-03-04: Struggling With Errors, DOGE Deletes Billions More From List of Savings | The New York Times — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has deleted billions in claimed savings from its “wall of receipts” due to numerous errors and inaccuracies. The group’s total claimed savings from cutting contracts has declined from $16 billion to less than $9 billion, raising questions about DOGE’s competence and understanding of federal government operations.
• 2025-03-03: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Sounds Alarm on Potential Closure of Critical Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Facility in Carlsbad | Representative Gabe Vasquez — Rep. Gabe Vasquez expresses concern over potential closure of the Skeen-Whitlock Building, which houses the Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office crucial for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant operations. He highlights risks to national security and environmental safety, citing staff reductions and project delays, while requesting urgent meetings with GSA and DOE officials to address the issue.
• 2025-03-03: Dozens of Government Technology Specialists Fired | The New York Times — The Trump administration is terminating dozens of technology specialists from the General Services Administration’s 18F unit, which developed software and technology products to improve efficiency across federal agencies. The decision, directed by top leadership and implemented by Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer, has resulted in employees being placed on administrative leave until their official release at the end of April.
• 2025-03-03: DOGE moves to cancel NOAA leases on key weather buildings — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is moving to cancel leases on key NOAA facilities, including the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction and the Radar Operations Center, which are critical for weather forecasting and radar maintenance. These actions, combined with recent layoffs and budget cuts, have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission, potentially leading to significant gaps in weather forecasting and climate research.
• 2025-03-02: US Commerce Secretary wants to remove government spending from GDP | Reuters — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick plans to remove government spending from GDP calculations, claiming to make economic data more transparent. Economists warn this change could increase volatility in GDP figures and complicate comparisons with other countries’ economies.
• 2025-02-28: Federal workers could get a second email that may require a response - The Washington Post — The Trump administration is implementing a new strategy requiring federal workers to provide weekly bullet-point descriptions of their work, with the second email expected to arrive Saturday from agency HR departments. This initiative will allow supervisors and agency heads to check whether employees’ work aligns with Trump administration goals and priorities, and unlike the initial email from OPM that agencies advised workers not to respond to, these new agency-specific requests may be mandatory.

REFERENCES

• 2025-03-25: What’s happening with Social Security? The Trump changes, explained. | Vox — The Social Security Administration is facing a crisis as the Trump administration, under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, slashes staff, closes offices, and implements policies that delay benefit access for millions. Critics warn that the aggressive anti-fraud push is destabilizing the program and setting the stage for potential privatization, despite widespread reliance on Social Security to prevent poverty.
• 2025-03-25: Long waits, floods of calls, web crashes: Social Security is breaking down | The Washington Post — The Social Security Administration is facing severe challenges due to budget cuts and staffing reductions led by Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service, resulting in website crashes, long phone wait times, and reduced services for retirees and disabled Americans. The agency’s acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, has implemented rapid policy changes and pushed out experienced officials, creating chaos for front-line staff and leaving many beneficiaries struggling to access their benefits. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are alarmed by the situation, with some fearing it could be part of a conservative effort to privatize the agency, while the Trump administration maintains it won’t touch Social Security benefits.
• 2025-03-24: Janet Mills unloads on Donald Trump after he demands apology — Governor Janet Mills strongly criticized President Donald Trump after he demanded an apology for their February confrontation over Maine’s transgender athlete policies. Mills defended her stance on the rule of law and separation of powers, while calling for Trump to address pressing issues like healthcare, Social Security, and the economy instead of focusing on transgender sports.
• 2025-03-21: Open Technology Fund Files Lawsuit to Contest Grant Termination and Preserve Critical Mission | OTF — The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and the Office of Management and Budget, seeking to block the termination of its grant and secure the release of withheld Congressionally-appropriated funds. The lawsuit aims to preserve OTF’s mission of countering digital authoritarianism worldwide, particularly in response to China’s sophisticated censorship apparatus and other authoritarian regimes’ information controls.
• 2025-03-21: Columbia Gives in to Trump’s Demands. University to Ban Masks, Empower Campus Police and Rein in Controversial Academic Department | WSJ — Columbia University has agreed to comply with President Trump’s demands to regain $400 million in federal funding, including banning masks, empowering campus police, and placing the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under oversight of a new senior vice provost who will review curriculum and faculty hiring to ensure balanced educational offerings. The university’s decision comes after the Trump administration revoked funding over concerns about protection of Jewish students following pro-Palestinian protests, with Columbia administrators determining that fighting the federal government would be difficult given the many financial levers available to claw back money.
• 2025-03-21: Federal workers say DOGE makes government inefficient | The Washington Post — The Washington Post article describes how the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making federal agencies less efficient through measures like requiring weekly activity reports, restricting equipment purchases, canceling necessary subscriptions, and diverting employees to scrub documents of DEI-related terms. These inefficiencies are impacting government services, with examples including unanswered IRS calls, delayed tornado warnings, and requiring in-person Social Security claims while simultaneously closing field offices.
• 2025-03-19: Social Security to No Longer Allow Phone Call Verification — The Social Security Administration will no longer allow beneficiaries to confirm their identity over the phone, requiring them to do so online or in person at a local office starting March 31, 2025, a move aimed at reducing fraud but criticized by AARP for potentially burdening older Americans, especially those with limited internet access or mobility issues.
• 2025-03-14: Climate Change Science Atop Mauna Loa Could Stall Amid Federal Cuts | Honolulu Civil Beat — The Mauna Loa Observatory, which has tracked atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since 1958, may face closure due to potential federal cuts under the Trump administration. The Hilo office supporting the observatory is among 34 NOAA facilities flagged for possible lease cancellation, threatening the continuation of crucial climate data collection that has documented CO2 levels rising from 315 ppm in the 1960s to over 420 ppm today.
• 2025-03-13: SSA weighs axing payments to 170,000 beneficiaries | Government Executive — The Social Security Administration is considering a policy change that would ban payments to people without Social Security numbers, potentially affecting 170,000 beneficiaries. This move would impact vulnerable groups including disabled children of immigrants and widows of Americans living overseas, as it targets representative payees who manage benefits on behalf of eligible recipients.
• 2025-03-12: Recording Reveals SSA Head Dudek’s Thoughts on DOGE, Trump | ProPublica — A recording obtained by ProPublica reveals acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek expressing concerns about the agency’s stability under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Trump administration’s agenda. Dudek admits to making tough choices he doesn’t agree with, citing pressure from the president and DOGE, while also downplaying Trump’s claims of Social Security fraud.
• 2025-03-12: Amid Musk’s DOGE cuts, NOAA will slash more than 1,000 jobs, sources say | AP News — The Trump administration is implementing another round of job cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, amounting to 1,029 positions. These cuts follow earlier rounds of firings and retirements, resulting in NOAA eliminating about one in four jobs since Trump took office in January.
• 2025-03-12: Democrats Demand Answers on DOGE’s Use of AI | WIRED — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have sent multiple requests to federal agencies seeking information about the use of AI software amid concerns over Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessing sensitive data. The requests focus on ensuring AI usage is legal, protecting Americans’ private data, and investigating whether Musk could benefit financially from access to government data.
• 2025-03-12: Social Security may cut phone service as DOGE raises fraud questions | The Washington Post — The Social Security Administration is considering ending telephone service for claims processing and direct-deposit transactions under pressure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team, which would force elderly and disabled Americans to use the internet or visit field offices instead. This proposed change comes amid DOGE’s push to cut staff by over 12% and false claims by Elon Musk about fraud involving impossibly old beneficiaries, despite agency staff explaining these were record-keeping artifacts rather than actual fraud.
• 2025-03-11: Whistleblower testifies in court that plan to abolish CFPB is still on, countering administration’s narrative | CNN Politics — A whistleblower testified that plans to dismantle the CFPB were still in progress, contradicting the Justice Department’s narrative. A judge expressed concern and sought ways to preserve the agency amid litigation over its potential dismantling.
• 2025-03-11: Justice Department office that prosecutes public corruption slashed in size, sources say — The Trump administration is reducing the size of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which oversees prosecutions of public officials accused of corruption. Only about six employees will remain in the office that previously handled all federal public corruption cases nationwide.
• 2025-03-11: EPA’s Zeldin terminates $20 billion in Biden climate grants | POLITICO — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the termination of $20 billion in climate grants issued by the Biden administration under the Inflation Reduction Act, citing concerns about program integrity, award process issues, and alleged fraud. This decision comes one day before a federal judge is scheduled to hear a lawsuit from one of the grant recipients seeking access to funds that were frozen in a Citibank account while the Trump administration investigated the program.
• 2025-03-11: Jamie Raskin Announces FOIA Demands for Personal Data Held by Doge and Elon Musk | Jamie Raskin for Congress — U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin has announced a campaign encouraging Americans to file Freedom of Information Act requests to access their personal data held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, following a District Court ruling that DOGE must comply with such requests. Raskin is providing a fillable Privacy Act request form through his website and social media, asserting that since DOGE has claimed status as a legitimate government agency in court cases, it is now obligated to fulfill citizen demands for access to their personal information under federal privacy laws.
• 2025-03-11: Trump Says He Will Label Violence Against Tesla Dealers Domestic Terrorism | Ground News — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will label violence against Tesla dealerships domestic terrorism as he appeared with Tesla CEO Elon Musk to show support amid recent “Tesla Takedown” protests and the slump in the company’s stock price.
• 2025-03-10: Cole Statement on the National Weather Center in Norman, the Social Security Administration Office in Lawton, and the Indian Health Services Office in Oklahoma City | Representative Tom Cole — Congressman Tom Cole has successfully worked with the Administration to prevent the termination of leases for the National Weather Center in Norman, the Social Security Administration Office in Lawton, and the Indian Health Services Office in Oklahoma City. Cole expresses pride in advocating for these facilities which provide vital services to Oklahomans and reaffirms his commitment to fighting for his constituents.
• 2025-03-08: DOGE Is Replacing Fired Workers With a Chatbot — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is deploying a chatbot called GSAi to replace fired workers at the US General Services Administration. The chatbot, described by one employee as “about as good as an intern,” has limited functionality and significant restrictions on handling sensitive information, raising questions about its effectiveness as a replacement for the hundreds of terminated domain experts and civil servants.
• 2025-03-07: Social Security union rep: No other facility like Plains Twp. location | Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice — The Social Security Administration Data Operations Center in Plains Twp. is the only facility of its kind in the country, handling over 1.23 million customer service calls between October and January to assist people with Social Security benefits. The center was briefly listed as one of 433 “non-core assets” the government wanted to sell before the list was removed from the General Services Administration’s website.
• 2025-03-06: Social Security now requires Maine parents to visit an agency office to register newborns — The Social Security Administration has implemented a new policy in Maine requiring parents to visit a Social Security office in person to register their newborns for Social Security numbers, eliminating the previous “Enumeration at Birth” program that allowed parents to complete this process via a simple form at the hospital. This change has been criticized by pediatric health advocates as burdensome and unnecessary, forcing families with newborns to travel to one of Maine’s eight Social Security offices instead of using the efficient system that had been in place since the late 1980s.
• 2025-03-06: US announced job cuts surge 245% in February on federal government layoffs | Reuters — Layoffs in the U.S. surged by 245% in February 2025, with federal government cuts accounting for a significant portion, driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives under President Donald Trump’s administration. These cuts impacted both government employees and contractors, with Washington D.C. experiencing the highest job losses, while concerns over trade wars and funding freezes added further strain to the labor market.
• 2025-03-05: Cuts Could Close Facilities in California’s National Forests, Memo Says | The New York Times — Almost 4,000 campsites across California’s 18 national forests could close for part or all of the summer season due to federal government staff reductions and budget freezes that have led to severe staffing shortages. The closures follow terminations of at least 2,000 employees by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has resulted in reduced capacity to maintain facilities, respond to emergencies, conduct scientific research, and manage wildfire risks.
• 2025-03-04: Some DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries | WIRED — Some staffers at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are drawing six-figure salaries from federal agencies they are tasked with cutting, with some making up to $195,200 annually[1]. Despite Musk’s initial claim of zero compensation, DOGE’s budget has grown to around $40 million, raising questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest in the organization’s operations.
• 2025-03-02: FAA Officials Ordered Staff to Find Funding for Elon Musk’s Starlink — FAA officials ordered staff to find tens of millions of dollars for a Starlink deal, despite no official contract yet. Elon Musk, leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, oversaw mass firings at the FAA while his company SpaceX stands to benefit from potential contracts, raising conflict of interest concerns.
• 2025-03-01: DOGE actions may cause Social Security benefit ‘interruption’ ex-agency head — Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warns that actions by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) threaten to cause an interruption in Social Security benefit payments within the next 30-90 days. Staff cuts have already led to system outages at the Social Security Administration, and O’Malley predicts these will become more frequent until there is a complete system collapse, potentially affecting the 72.5 million Americans who rely on these benefits.
• 2025-02-25: What Swing Voters Think of Musk, Trump, and the Economy — Focus groups conducted in February 2025 reveal widespread skepticism about Elon Musk’s role in government through DOGE, with voters describing him as “weird,” “scary,” and “selfish,” while Trump is viewed as a strong leader compared to Democrats who are perceived as “weak” and “out of touch.” The dominant concern across all voter groups is the cost of living, with participants expressing frustration about inflation and hoping Trump will address economic issues, though they remain divided on whether his policies like tariffs will help or hurt their financial situations.