The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidance which requires spending items greater than $50,000 get approval from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to the Associated Press, EPA staff members have been directed to submit a one-page explanation of each funding action every day between 3 and 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Staff members must also complete all other relevant forms.
A letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, from Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, details concern about the role of DOGE in reviewing and approving funding decisions.
“This escalation of the role that DOGE plays in EPA funding decisions threatens to delay routine funding processes and hand complex financial decisions to unvetted individuals with no demonstrable expertise in environmental policy or fiscal management,” said Senator Whitehouse in his letter.
Whitehouse stated that the new directive is troubling for three reasons:
- Agency actions, including contracting and grant-making now require unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
- The involvement of the DOGE team raises concerns about external influence on agency decision making.
- Requiring a certification that EPA funding decisions does not conflict with executive orders is illegal, according to Senator Whitehouse.
