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.
The American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents 800,000 federal workers nationwide, joined with left-leaning 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.
Public interest law firm National Security Counselors Inc.'s lawsuit adds Russ Vought, Trump’s nominee to lead the OMB, as a defendnat. The Senate held its first confirmation hearing for Vought last week.
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, Dist. Ct. D.C., 1:25-cv-00167, complaint filed 1/20/25, and Lentini v. Dep’t of Gov’t Efficiency, Dist. Ct. D.C., complaint filed 1/20/25.
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