The effort faces an uncertain future in a largely frozen Congress that has passed few bills since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has pledged to "significantly" cut back his role in Doge, the body tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs. The Department of Government Efficiency has faced legal challenges over the scope of its work, and Musk and his team have been been criticised for a lack of transparency.

Elon Musk bounded into Washington as a special government employee earlier this year. Gaining unprecedented access to the corridors of power and data, the billionaire injected a sense of chaos across the US government.