Trump signs executive order to expand DOGE’s spending review powers

In a newly issued executive order (EO), the Trump Administration has instructed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Elon Musk-advised initiative to reduce federal spending, to create a “centralized technological system” in every agency to record contract and grant awards. As part of the ramp-up of these systems, agency employees who approved individual contract and grant payments will have to submit a written justification for their approvals. Agency heads will be able to “pause and rapidly review” any payment for which approving employees haven’t submitted a justification, per the EO. The EO also instructs agency heads, with assistance from DOGE, to build systems that “centrally record” approval for federally-funded travel for conferences and other “non-essential” purposes. Once the systems are in place, agency employees will have to submit written justifications for “non-essential” and conference travel expenses, according to the text of the order. The move is the ... Read full article.