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Doge oversight of US grants website ends, unlocking over $500 bn; federal agencies regain control
The Doge, which was controlled by Elon Musk until his departure from Washington DC in May, has reportedly lost access to a government process for awarding federal funds worth billions of dollars read more
A man sprays paint graffiti against Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) on a Tesla showroom in New York, US, April 22, 2025, in this still image taken from video. Extinction Rebellion NYC via Reuters
In yet another sign of declining influence of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) in the US administration, it reportedly lost access to a government process for awarding federal funds worth billions of dollars to the public through the grants.gov website.
The Washington Post reported, citing an email and two senior officials, that federal officials were asked Thursday (June 26) to stop routing grant-making requests through Doge.
Notably, in April, Doge staffers edited the process, requiring federal agencies to route their Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) through a Doge-controlled mailbox. This gave Doge the power to approve and reject these opportunities, through which members of the public and welfare organisations could have obtained government grants.
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'Dear Agency Partners, We are pleased to inform agencies that they may resume standard [Notice of Funding Opportunity] procedures on Grants.gov, effective immediately,' read an e-mail sent to federal agencies Thursday.
'Please coordinate with your agency's leadership to ensure that all required reviews and approvals by political appointees are completed before posting your funding opportunity,' it added.
White House responds
While the move shows waning Doge's influence in the Donald Trump administration following the exit of Elon Musk in May, the White House insists the department still had a critical role to play.
DOGE will continue to 'facilitate the review of grants, working alongside agency secretaries to determine which grants should continue, which should be terminated, and which require further scrutiny,' said a statement sent by the White House.
'Robust controls remain in place, with DOGE personnel embedded at each agency, assisting secretaries' offices in reviewing grants daily,' the statement read. 'Agency secretaries and senior advisors will continue to implement and leverage the controls initially established by DOGE to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, retaining full agency discretion to determine the appropriate flow of funds at the project level.'
Musk's ugly divorce
Last month, Elon Musk exited the government amid a public feud with Trump, aired across social media, prompting Cabinet officials and senior staff to wrest control from Musk's cost-cutting team. The future of Doge remains unclear: some of Musk's key aides have left, while others have transitioned to permanent government roles.
During Doge's oversight of grants.gov, the Trump administration failed to post over two dozen planned funding opportunities, risking the distribution of congressionally appropriated federal funds.
This delay coincides with the administration's plans to challenge a 1974 budget law by withholding mandated funds, as reported by The Post. At least 30 funding opportunities remain stalled in Doge's controlled mailbox, the sources cited by the Post said.
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