United States DOGE Service

Last updated
United States DOGE Service
Agency overview
FormedJanuary 20, 2025 (2025-01-20)
Preceding agency
Agency executive
  • Amy Gleason (acting), USDS Administrator
Parent department Executive Office of the President of the United States
Child agency
Website usds.gov

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on January 20, 2025, which repurposed the United States Digital Service (USDS) as the United States DOGE Service (USDS). The order also established a temporary organization under the USDS, called the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization (USDSTO) tasked it with "advancing the President's 18-month DOGE agenda".

Contents

The United States Digital Service was a technology unit housed within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The USDS was launched on August 11, 2014, by President Barack Obama. It provided consultation services to federal agencies on information technology. Its mandate was to improve and simplify digital service, and to improve federal websites.

History

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order renaming the United States Digital Service as the United States DOGE Service, where DOGE stands for Department of Government Efficiency. The order established an organization within the USDS, called the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization (USDSTO), and tasked it with "advancing the President's 18-month DOGE agenda" which includes "modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity". [1] [2] The New York Times reported that the executive order establishing DOGE would rename the United States Digital Service to "United States DOGE Service" and would also create "DOGE teams" embedded within federal agencies consisting of at least four special government employees that would have "full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems" to the "maximum extent consistent with law". Some of the employees were expected to be unpaid volunteers. [1]

US DOGE Service Job Application Page February 2025 USDOGEServiceJoinPage.png
US DOGE Service Job Application Page February 2025

On January 26, the United States DOGE Service launched the hiring website at join.doge.gov seeking "software engineers, InfoSec engineers, and other technology professionals". [3] By February 2025 the hiring page was updated with a goal to "Drive Change that Uplifts the American People" and with DOGE and USDS switched in the title of the page.

Trump had initially announced on November 12, 2024 [4] that DOGE would be co-led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, [5] though Ramaswamy stepped away [6] from the project before it began in order to prepare for running for governor in Ohio. [1] As of February 2025, Musk has not stepped aside from his private business roles as owner of X Corp. and CEO and partial owner of Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX. [7] Musk has been designated a special government employee and numerous outlets have described DOGE as a Musk-led initiative. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Legality

The legality of DOGE is disputed. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service identified several legal issues, including whether and how Congress will fund appropriations for DOGE, whether legacy USDS projects already funded by Congress will be continued, and whether DOGE is or will be subject to federal transparency laws (Freedom of Information Act and Federal Advisory Committee Act), records laws (Privacy Act of 1974), and ethics and conflict-of-interest laws (Ethics in Government Act). [12]

By January 21, three lawsuits had been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia that alleged that DOGE is an advisory committee and violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act. [13] [ needs update ]

Conflicts with federal agencies over computer systems

Musk and DOGE have clashed with congressionally-established federal agencies over access to computer systems and data.

Reuters reported on January 31 that "aides to Elon Musk" had locked some career civil servants out of computer systems at the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government's human resources department that maintains details on 2.2 million workers. [14] That same day, multiple sources reported that the acting secretary of the treasury, David Lebryk, refused to grant DOGE access to a system that disburses $5.4 trillion in payments annually, including Social Security, government paychecks and contractor payments. The newly confirmed treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, granted DOGE access to the system later that day, and Lebryk resigned. [15] [16] [17] The New York Times described it as a possible attempt by Trump to "unilaterally restrict disbursement of money approved for specific purposes by Congress" following his earlier funding freeze. It also reported that DOGE had requested access to other technology systems at other agencies across the federal government. [10]

On February 1, members of DOGE gained access to classified information of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) without sufficient security clearances. [18] DOGE personnel asked to be let into USAID headquarters and threatened to call the US Marshals, [9] which by law receive their direction from the attorney general and the director of the United States Marshals Service. [19] [20] Two security chiefs at USAID attempted to deny DOGE access to the classified material, as they claimed they were "legally obligated" to do; however, they were then placed on leave by the Trump administration. [18] The next day, Musk tweeted that USAID was a "criminal organization" and that it was "[t]ime for it to die". [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Madeline, Ngo; Schleifer, Theodore (January 21, 2025). "How Trump's Department of Government Efficiency Will Work" . The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency"" (PDF). Federal Register. 90 (14). Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration: 8441–8442. 29 January 2025.
  3. ↑ James, David (2025-01-27). "Elon Musk's DOGE Is Now Hiring: How to Apply". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  4. ↑ "Trump says Musk, Ramaswamy will form outside group to advise White House on government efficiency". AP News. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  5. ↑ "Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy bring Trump's DOGE to Capitol Hill". AP News. 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  6. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer; Jiang, Weijia; Gómez, Fin (2025-01-19). "Vivek Ramaswamy expected to depart DOGE - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  7. ↑ "Elon Musk's business conflicts draw scrutiny amid White House role". The Washington Post. January 24, 2025. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Elon Musk's Doge team granted 'full access' to federal payment system". The Guardian. February 2, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Hansler, Jennifer; Marquardt, Alex (February 2, 2025). "Senior USAID security officials put on leave after refusing Musk's DOGE access to agency systems". CNN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Duehren, Andrew; Haberman, Maggie; Schleifer, Theodore; Rappeport, Alan (February 1, 2025). "Elon Musk's Team Now Has Access to Treasury's Payments System" . The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Musk team given access to sensitive federal payment system - reports". BBC. February 2, 2025. Archived from the original on February 2, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Executive Order: Early Implementation". Congressional Research Service. January 27, 2025. Archived from the original on February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Elon Musk's DOGE Faces Trio of Lawsuits Following Trump's Inauguration". Democracy Docket. January 21, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ Reid, Tim (January 31, 2025). "Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say". Reuters.
  15. ↑ Duehren, Andrew; Rappeport, Alan; Schleifer, Theodore; Swan, Jonathan; Haberman, Maggie (January 31, 2025). "Treasury Official Quits After Resisting Musk's Requests on Payments". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ Stein, Jeff; Arnsdorf, Isaac; Alemany, Jacqueline (January 31, 2025). "Senior U.S. official exits after rift with Musk allies over payment system". The Washington Post.
  17. ↑ Polantz, Katelyn; Mattingly, Phil; Sneed, Tierney (January 31, 2025). "How an arcane Treasury Department office became ground zero in the war over federal spending". CNN.
  18. 1 2 Knickmeyer, Ellen (February 2, 2025). "USAID security leaders on leave after trying to keep Musk's DOGE from classified info, officials say". Associated Press . Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Who We Are". U.S. Marshals Service. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  20. ↑ "28 U.S. Code § 561". Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School). Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
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