Trump, Allies Sued Over DOGE Plans in Union-Backed Lawsuits (2)

The largest federal employee union and a national teachers union are among the first to file lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump‘s planned government efficiency organization effort.

The groups seek to rein in the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to cut government spending that will be led by billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk. DOGE will advise Trump on spending cuts and regulatory reform.

Leading up to his inauguration, Trump promised to fire federal workers who don’t report to the office and drastically reshape the civilian public workforce of 2 million people. The Trump White House announced Monday he will “freeze bureaucrat hiring except in essential areas” and alter some hiring practices for federal workers.

The three lawsuits were filed Monday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia as Trump was sworn into office. They accuse DOGE of violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a law that requires groups advising the president to hold open meetings and include members with varying points of view. The complaints highlight the absence of federal workers within DOGE.

Federal employees “deserve to have their voices heard in decisions that affect their work, their agencies, and the public they serve,” said American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley in a statement.

AFGE joined with public interest group Public Citizen in a complaint against Trump himself and the US Office of Management and Budget. It asks for a court order declaring DOGE unlawful.

A second complaint, from the American Public Health Association and the American Federation of Teachers, also includes DOGE among its list of defendants, along with acting OMB director Matthew Vaeth.

Public interest law firm National Security Counselors Inc.'s lawsuit accuses DOGE of violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act because its past meetings have not been open to the public and national security experts aren’t included in the group.

“DOGE’s stacked membership, far from being fairly balanced, reveals that only one viewpoint is represented: that of ‘small-government crusaders’ with backgrounds in either the tech industry or Republican politics,” the law firm said in the complaint.

The lawsuit named Russ Vought, Trump’s nominee to lead the OMB, as a defendant. Vought’s second Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The cases are Public Citizen, Inc. v. Trump, D.D.C., No. 25-cv-00164, complaint filed 1/20/25, Am. Public Health Ass’n v. OMB, D.D.C., 1:25-cv-00167, complaint filed 1/20/25, and Lentini v. Dep’t of Gov’t Efficiency, D.D.C., complaint filed 1/20/25.