The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on Tuesday that it has canceled more than 200,000 government credit cards, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).
DOGE, led by billionaire and White House advisor Elon Musk, had previously stated on February 18 that it was working with federal agencies to streamline credit card accounts and cut administrative costs. According to its estimates, the federal government had 4.6 million credit cards and 90 million transactions during the 2024 fiscal year.
A week later, President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a “transformation in Federal spending”, which included a 30-day freeze on agency employee credit cards.
On Tuesday, DOGE provided a three-week update, confirming that 16 agencies were currently undergoing audits. It highlighted “great progress” in the Health and Human Services Department and the Department of the Interior.
Trump and Musk have long advocated for cutting government spending, including laying off over 100,000 federal employees. However, reports indicate that the credit card freeze is disrupting operations for some agencies.
The executive order does allow exemptions for employees using government credit cards for disaster relief, emergency response, and other critical services, as determined by agency heads.
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