Trump to Direct Agencies to Collaborate with DOGE to Streamline Regulations

February 19, 2025 TruthUSA

The recent directive follows a previous order issued last week that instructed agency leaders to collaborate with DOGE in order to reduce personnel and restrict hiring.

On February 19, President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order mandating that federal agencies partner with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to eliminate regulations that oppose the administration’s agenda.

This order requires all agency heads to work together with DOGE and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to assess all regulations within their authority, ensuring they align with the law and the president’s policies, with a focus on those that “impose heavy costs,” as outlined in a fact sheet provided to The Epoch Times by a White House official.

Trump’s directive will initiate a “Unified Agenda” aimed at revoking or amending regulations that contradict the administration’s objectives while exempting any actions related to military, national security, homeland security, foreign affairs, or immigration functions of the United States.

Furthermore, agencies are instructed to exercise discretion to limit enforcement actions that exceed statutory authority or the constitutional powers of the federal government.

Last week, Trump directed agency heads to collaborate with DOGE to reduce staff and curtail hiring across the federal government. This directive instructs OMB to establish rules ensuring that federal employees are “held to the highest standards of conduct.”

Following the end of the Trump administration’s hiring freeze on January 20, all federal agencies will be permitted to hire only one employee for every four who depart or are let go. Agencies will also begin devising plans for significant staff reductions and will evaluate which components or entire agencies may be deemed for elimination or consolidation, according to the fact sheet from the February 11 order.

These orders are part of the administration’s ongoing push to implement significant changes within the federal government and its bureaucracy, in line with numerous campaign pledges to scale back its reach. The president established DOGE through an executive order in January to evaluate federal expenditures and identify inefficiencies.

In the first three weeks of the second Trump administration, DOGE has rapidly gained access to data and IT systems across various federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Democrats in Washington have voiced criticism against DOGE since it was formed, claiming that the initiatives spearheaded by Elon Musk could result in a “constitutional crisis” if the audits conducted by his advisory commission lead to reductions in agency appropriations or staff levels without congressional consent.

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