DOGE after Musk: From meme to momentum
Elon Musk’s short but headline-grabbing stint with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has concluded, but the broader deregulatory agenda remains robust and far from over.
As a sign, we appear to be on track for the lowest federal rule count since Federal Register recordkeeping began in the 1970s. As of today, the Federal Register stands at 23,420 pages, populated by just 970 final rules— many of which are delays, rescissions, and other steps aimed at deregulation and streamlining.
Musk’s appointment was always meant to be temporary, limited to 130 days. The relentless media venom would have one believe that all achievements were expected to be complete by now. But DOGE is set to wrap up on July 4, 2026, at which point it will present a final report on its findings and recommendations to the president.
That’s the middle of next year, not this year.
As I describe over at Forbes, behind the headlines—fittingly enough—it’s the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), not DOGE, that drives Trump’s deregulatory push.
Consider this: Of the 157 Trump executive orders so far, only eight by my count explicitly mention DOGE. Some key orders—including those aiming for a 10-for-one regulatory rollback, inventorying and slashing overcriminalization in regulatory provisions, and defunding NPR and PBS—don’t name DOGE at all, let alone assign it the lead role.
Instead—and this makes perfect sense—OMB and other agencies are incorporated into directives such that earlier reforms continue breathing and new ones are birthed after DOGE leaves the scene.
To be sure, some important deregulatory measures, like imposing a one-for-four hiring-to-attrition ratio and eliminating non-statutory federal offices, stem from DOGE’s support. But much of the heavy lifting—such as scrutinizing spending on contracts, grants, and loans—while initiated by DOGE, is also being carried out by OMB and other agencies well-positioned to sustain these reforms.
In the final analysis, a reluctant Congress still needs to get up on its hind legs and enact legislation to make most changes permanent. No DOGE cuts were included in the recent House version of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” disappointing many. This week, Congress is anticipated to consider a $9 billion set of FY 2025 spending recissions (targeting foreign aid and NPR this time).
While Musk’s tenure as a Special Government Employee may have been brief, and while DOGE will continue to generate headlines, the real engines of spending cuts and regulatory streamlining must be Trump’s OMB and agencies—and Congress. “Bigger DOGEs” must bite after the July 4, 2026 fireworks fade.
For more, see: “Many Trump Spending And Deregulatory Executive Orders Bypass DOGE,” Forbes