BAD DOGE Act

The "Bolstering America's Democracy and Demanding Oversight and Government Ethics Act," or the BAD DOGE Act , seeks to repeal President Donald Trump's January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14158, which established the "Department of Government Efficiency." This Executive Order created the United States DOGE Service (USDS) and the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization (USDSTO), purportedly for a "Software Modernization Initiative" to improve government IT systems. The bill's findings assert that these entities, particularly under the leadership of Elon Musk , have operated far beyond their authorized scope and statutory limits. It highlights that Mr. Musk was not formally appointed as USDS Administrator and has not complied with federal ethics or disclosure requirements, despite allegedly acting as a "special government employee." Congress finds that Mr. Musk's actions, including freezing payments to federal agencies, acquiring federal employee personnel data, gaining control over the Treasury's payment system, and attempting to dismantle agencies, are inconsistent with the Executive Order and statutory permissions for a temporary organization. These actions are deemed to violate numerous federal statutes, such as the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 , as well as fundamental constitutional principles like the Separation of Powers and the Appropriations Clause . Therefore, the bill explicitly states that Executive Order 14158 shall have no force or effect.