Elon Musk’s visit to the Oval Office on Tuesday was no simple courtesy call, a new executive order setting strict guidelines on how federal agencies may hire new staff suggests. The far-reaching mandate puts a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “team lead” at the apex of every federal agency and sets a cap on hiring only one new government worker for every four who depart in what policy analysts are calling a substantial expansion of DOGE’s powers.
“By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself,” President Donald Trump wrote in the order’s statement of purpose.
Building on a hiring freeze President Trump issued on his first day in office last month, the new executive order instructs the Office of Management and Budget to craft broad-reaching agency reorganization plans within 30 days. For DOGE, Trump set a nine-month deadline to report back on its results in implementing the Workforce Optimization Initiative.
“Reducing the unnecessary footprint of government,” is a motivating principle for this initiative, and the administration’s overall approach, a White House fact sheet about the order stressed.
“No one knows how many federal agencies exist, but the Federal Register lists over 400,” the White House explainer stated.
Military, national security staff, public safety agencies and the postal service are exempted from Tuesday’s directive.
“We are going to try to sort of right-size the federal bureaucracy,” DOGE chief Elon Musk said at the joint appearance.
Judges in federal courts have already issued temporary injunctions on previous efforts by the Trump administration to freeze federal spending, offer buy-outs to bureaucrats to retire or resign early, access the Treasury Department’s payment system and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development in a slew of over 30 lawsuits.
Tuesday’s order suggests the White House is doubling down, rather than scaling back, its ambitions to dramatically reform the size and scope of the federal government.
[RELATED: Trump Admin Calls Block On Spending Freeze ‘Intolerable Judicial Overreach’]
Lawmakers representing the Beltway in particular were quick to react.
“This unprecedented assault on the federal workforce and the services they provide to the American people will not go unanswered,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said in a statement. “We are going to fight every way we can: in the courts, in public opinion, with the bully pulpit, in the halls of Congress, and in every community across this country. We are not going to let this injustice happen.”
Not everyone in Congress agrees though. When asked about DOGE’s approach last week, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told Semafor:
“There’s a lot of disruption, but I would argue that that disruption was needed to be able to go in and scrutinize the record, scrutinize expenditures to fully understand what’s going on.”
This is a continuing story and the Maine Wire will provide ongoing updates about this and related initiatives.
“ This is a Constitutional Crisis “:…is the NEWEST tag line all the democrats are TOLD to say .
It’s like “ this is an Existential,Threat “ ….remember that one ….
It’s like “ He is a Threat to Democracy “ …..ya ya ya ya ya
Democrats have run us over a cliff and they have nothing to say about that other than “ Elon has NOT been Elected by the People “:
Well kids neither was Mayorkas or Grandholm or Buttigedge or dozens of the other total incompetents that Biden threw into our faces .
Shut TFU ….Republicans are now in control and all you can do is cry .
Make America Great Again .
“ The federal register lists over 400 government agencies “
Well Hells Bells ….Janet Mills has MORE THAN THAT !
Make Maine Great Again
VOTE Republican in 2026 .
Save Our State .
The 65,000 person buyout so far represents a 39,000,000.00 dues revenue hit to civil servant labor organizers. This is their constitutional crisis…..
Great to have a president with a pair and a first Lady without.
Wow, Musk’s team is getting younger & younger
No union dues being funneled back to the democrats with whom they negotiate their contracts.
A: Outlaw public sector unions.
B: Eliminate all civil service protections.
PICK ONE .
Without this disruption, the USA is heading down the porcelain financial swirly bowl – never mind the relentlessly aggravating personal and financial burdens placed on citizens’ and businesses’ via the power grubbing control of needless laws and regulations.