The General Services Administration (GSA) said that it will save $1 billion over the next decade through a deregulation initiative that cut diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and “burdensome regulations.”
Those cuts came as part of broader reorganization efforts across the federal government conducted by the Trump administration since taking office earlier this year.
All DEI-related federal employees were put on leave by President Donald Trump within days of taking office after he signed an executive order to shutter DEI offices and instead place an emphasis on “individual initiative, skills, and hard work.”
GSA’s announcement follows Trump’s order to stand up the Department of Government Efficiency, which was created to improve efficiency and modernize the federal government while cutting regulations to streamline reorganization and modernization efforts.
“This historic reform shows what’s possible when we take a hard look at government rules and focus on efficiency and results,” said GSA Acting Administrator Mike Rigas in a statement. “By eliminating outdated, duplicative, and unnecessary regulations, GSA is cutting costs, simplifying operations, and delivering savings for taxpayers.”
GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) reviewed the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) and Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to determine whether every provision related to aviation, federal advisory committees, mail, motor vehicles, relocation, transportation, and travel was in alignment with the administration’s deregulatory priorities.
Seventy-two percent of FMR and 50% of FTR were eliminated following that review, GSA said, adding that the cuts will improve readability and clarity.
“These final rules went through the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) regulatory process, with active engagement from agencies to refine the rules, before receiving approval to publish from OMB,” GSA officials said.
The agency said it also removed 84 bulletins totaling 96,304 words and 194 pages from the Federal Register that were related to DEI, COVID-19 waivers, union membership mandates, sustainable travel guidance, alternative fuel usage, and other regulations found to be “inconsistent with Administration policies.”
Going forward, GSA said it will issue non-regulatory guidance to ensure agencies’ efficient operations –an approach it said maintains “essential statutory requirements while eliminating unnecessary regulatory burden.”