The National Institutes of Health is bucking DOGE in a move that could mark a sign of Elon Musk’s fading influence in Washington.
An email sent to NIH staff Thursday instructed employees to ignore the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to measure worker productivity and limit travel and purchases on company cards, Politico reported.
The move marks one of the most visible departures from DOGE’s directives by an agency yet, and comes amid reports that Trump has told his billionaire cheerleader and senior adviser to take a backseat following backlash over his role in DOGE’s draconian job and program cuts.
“Please disregard any future reminders or instructions on this directive from [Office of Personnel Management] or the Department of Health and Human Services,” one NIH email reportedly read, referring to the White House’s personnel office. “NIH manages its own performance review processes and will notify employees directly if any information related to work duties or performance is needed.”
Another message from the agency—led by newly confirmed director Jay Bhattacharya—announced that purchasing cards would “be restored to full capacity and use,” and that travel for business would be allowed again, without the approval of the Department of Health and Human Services or the NIH director’s office.
DOGE had put a $1 spending limit on cards in March, requiring workers across agencies to go through purchase reviews and approval processes.
Despite Musk’s high profile role in the White House, his DOGE initiatives haven’t always played out as he might have hoped.
When he threatened federal workers with a request for weekly emails outlining five bullet points summarizing their work, officials at the State Department, FBI, and the Pentagon were told to disregard him.
On Wednesday, Social Security Administration officials steamrolled his plan to scrap phone-based claim services—something he had baselessly claimed was rife with fraud.
Unless Trump decides to extend it, Musk’s special appointment to the administration is set to expire at the end of May.
Last week, Trump told reporters that he thought Musk is “fantastic, and he’s a patriot,” but predicted he “will stay for a certain period of time and then he’s going to want to get back to his businesses full time.”
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