Trump signed DOGE executive order implementing cost efficiency initiative

President Donald Trump took a significant step towards implementing a cost efficiency initiative for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by signing an executive order on Wednesday. The order requires government payments and travel expenses to be justified and made public where possible.

This new requirement is part of Trump’s broader effort to transform federal spending by subjecting all federal grants and contracts to rigorous standards to justify their existence. The goal is to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending. Federal agencies are instructed to act immediately, reviewing all contracts and grants to ensure they meet these new standards.

In addition to scrutinizing contracts and grants, the executive order also focuses on travel expenses and government payments. These expenses must now be justified and made public whenever possible. The order also directs agencies to treat their credit cards as if they were frozen for 30 days, unless they are being used for disaster relief or other critical services.

Working in conjunction with DOGE, agency heads will review and terminate any contracts that are deemed unnecessary. The order also requires the General Services Administration to submit a plan for disposing of any unnecessary owned or leased properties.

Overall, Trump’s executive order aims to bring discipline to a wasteful government spending system. White House officials emphasized the need to safeguard taxpayer dollars and promote merit among contractors and grant recipients. They highlighted the fact that the government committed approximately $759 billion in contracts in fiscal year 2023, with minimal safeguards in place.

Since his return to office, Trump has made government spending a top priority, unleashing DOGE to identify and eliminate waste. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, the initiative has already saved an estimated $65 billion through fraud detection, contract and lease cancelations, asset sales, and other cost-saving measures.

The DOGE website provides regular updates on the savings achieved and features a “Wall of Receipts” that breaks down where the savings were found. With this executive order, Trump is taking a proactive stance in ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and efficiently.