The Department of Government Efficiency is making moves to extend its influence beyond executive branch agencies by attempting to integrate with an independent legislative watchdog tasked with uncovering government waste, fraud, and abuse. However, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a legislative branch entity responsible for auditing government spending and proposing efficiency improvements, rejected this request, emphasizing its independence from presidential executive orders.

This request to the GAO was prompted by President Trump’s executive order creating DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), despite DOGE not being a formal agency. The GAO’s response, reported by NOTUS, reiterated its non-alignment with executive orders and its refusal to accommodate a DOGE team.

While the GAO consistently releases reports aimed at enhancing government efficiency, there has been minimal overlap between its work and DOGE’s initiatives thus far. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a key Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, denounced DOGE’s attempt to infiltrate an independent legislative agency, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the separation of powers.

DOGE’s efforts to embed staff in organizations outside the executive branch have raised concerns, including interactions with nonprofits that receive federal funding but are not considered government agencies. The White House has not yet responded to inquiries regarding DOGE’s endeavors. Notably, DOGE’s actions have been met with resistance, as seen in denied requests to review operations at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Vera Institute of Justice.