President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allows the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “commence the deconstruction of the overbearing and burdensome administrative state.”
“It is the policy of my Administration to focus the executive branch’s limited enforcement resources on regulations squarely authorized by constitutional Federal statutes, and to commence the deconstruction of the overbearing and burdensome administrative state,” the order states. “Ending Federal overreach and restoring the constitutional separation of powers is a priority of my Administration.”
Under the order, agency heads will coordinate with DOGE and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to “initiate a process to review all regulations subject to their sole or joint jurisdiction for consistency with law and Administration policy.”
Within 60 days of the order, agency heads will identify regulations considered unconstitutional, unlawful delegations of power, implicate social, political, or economic significance, impost significant private costs, harm national interests, and impose significant burdens on small businesses.
“Subject to their paramount obligation to discharge their legal obligations, protect public safety, and advance the national interest, agencies shall preserve their limited enforcement resources by generally de-prioritizing actions to enforce regulations that are based on anything other than the best reading of a statute and de-prioritizing actions to enforce regulations that go beyond the powers vested in the Federal Government by the Constitution,” the order notes.
A similar executive order authorized the “reduction of the federal bureaucracy.”
“It is the policy of my Administration to dramatically reduce the size of the Federal Government, while increasing its accountability to the American people. This order commences a reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary,” the order reads. “Reducing the size of the Federal Government will minimize Government waste and abuse, reduce inflation, and promote American freedom and innovation.”
Recent rulings have supported DOGE’s actions. A lawsuit challenging the department’s email system was dismissed, while a separate ruling dropped charges against two Trump aides in a classified records case. These decisions bolster DOGE’s mission to streamline government operations.
