In a newly issued executive order, the Trump administration has directed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to expand its review of federal spending by establishing centralized technological systems across all agencies.

The order requires agencies to record contract and grant awards centrally, and mandates that employees who approve individual payments provide written justifications for their decisions.

Under the new directive, agency heads will have the authority to “pause and rapidly review” any payment where a written justification has not been submitted. The EO also extends to federally funded travel, instructing agency leaders, with support from DOGE, to create systems that centrally record approvals for non-essential travel, such as conferences. Once these systems are in place, employees will be required to submit written justifications for such travel expenses.

This move marks the latest expansion of DOGE’s authority to scrutinize federal spending. Earlier this month, DOGE circulated an email to federal employees, urging them to detail their weekly work accomplishments under the threat of termination. According to reports, the information will be analyzed using an AI algorithm to determine whether an employee’s work is deemed mission-critical.

DOGE was established under an executive order signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, which rebranded the U.S. Digital Service as DOGE and appointed teams of “special government employees” across federal agencies. Comprised largely of young professionals from Elon Musk’s businesses and other private-sector backgrounds, the unit has largely operated without extensive oversight, raising ongoing questions about its cybersecurity and privacy practices.

The latest executive order reflects the administration’s commitment to further tighten federal spending controls and enhance accountability across government agencies.

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