New Act Permanently Locks in All Past Government Efficiency Cuts, Bypassing Future Congressional Review

The aptly named DOGE Codification Act of 2025 is less about creating new policy and more about cementing old ones. This bill takes everything the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has done since its creation—all its rules, policies, and efficiency cuts—and instantly upgrades them from administrative actions (which are relatively easy to change) to official federal law (which is much harder to undo).

The Executive Order Gets a Statutory Upgrade

Think of this bill as the ultimate rubber stamp. DOGE was established by a Presidential Executive Order, meaning its actions were based on executive authority, not explicit legislation from Congress. Section 2 of this Act, "Codification of Actions," changes that entirely. It states that every rule, policy, and procedure DOGE directed or authorized is now legally binding statute. This means that if DOGE told the Department of Transportation to streamline a permit process by cutting certain safety checks, that change is now locked in as if Congress had voted on it. For the average person, this means that administrative changes made behind closed doors—changes that might not have received full legislative scrutiny—are now permanent parts of the legal landscape.

Efficiency Measures Are Now Non-Negotiable

This bill’s most significant real-world impact might be the mandate to maintain cost savings. Section 2 dictates that any cost savings or efficiency improvements DOGE identified or implemented must be kept in place. Crucially, this must happen regardless of what other legislation might say. Imagine you work for a small company that relies on a specific government grant program. If DOGE previously cut the funding for that program in the name of "efficiency," this bill makes it nearly impossible for a future Congress to restore that funding, even if the program proved essential. The bill effectively gives the efficiency measures implemented under DOGE veto power over future legislative changes that might try to reverse them.

What This Means for Future Flexibility

For those of us who follow policy, this move raises eyebrows about checks and balances. By codifying executive-driven changes into statutory law, this Act bypasses the standard legislative process that requires debate, amendments, and full Congressional approval for new laws. It essentially removes the ability of future administrations or Congresses to easily adjust or repeal DOGE’s prior directives, even if those directives prove flawed, ineffective, or harmful down the road. If DOGE’s efficiency drive led to unintended consequences—say, slower processing times for veteran benefits or reduced environmental oversight—reversing those consequences just got exponentially harder. This bill solidifies the current administrative structure and cuts, making them resistant to change, even if the public eventually demands it.