DOGE is continuing its attempts to expand its reach beyond executive branch agencies, this time seeking to embed in an independent legislative watchdog that finds waste, fraud and abuse in the government.

But the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a legislative branch entity that helps audit government spending and suggest ways to make it more efficient, rejected that request on Friday by noting that GAO is not subject to presidential executive orders.

The request to GAO had cited President Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order creating DOGE, which, despite its name, is not a formal agency.

DOGE’s request to GAO and its response was first reported by NOTUS.

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
    11·
    8 hours ago

    . I’m sure there are efficiencies and they need to be enacted but we need to ask why we use the systems we use.

    Yes. This is sometimes known as chesterton’s fence

    https://theknowledge.io/chestertons-fence-explained/

    G.K. Chesterton was an early 20th century English writer known for his clever paradoxes.

    He once wrote: “There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, ‘I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.’ To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: ‘If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.’”

    In other words, don’t be so quick to tear down things you don’t understand. That fence may have been put up for a very good reason, even if that reason is not immediately obvious. To ignore that reality risks unintended and potentially negative consequences.