US Democrats Move to Curb Elon Musk... Bill Proposed to Ban Government Contract Awards

Low Chances of Passage with Republican Control of Both House and Senate

There is a growing movement in the U.S. Congress to check Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and CEO of Tesla.

Mark Pocan, U.S. Democratic Congressman. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to the political media outlet Politico on the 5th (local time), U.S. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan introduced a bill that prohibits 'special government employees' like Musk from securing federal government contracts. The bill aims to prevent special government employees from obtaining federal contracts, just like members of Congress or other federal government officials.

Representative Pocan stated, "Whether special or not, government employees should not have financial interests with entities the government deals with," adding, "Musk, who has secured government contracts worth over $20 billion, can never be truly objective regarding his duties."

During the last presidential election, Musk donated at least 370 billion won in campaign funds to President Donald Trump. Musk has been extensively involved in government operations under the pretext of eliminating bureaucracy and wasteful spending, including accessing sensitive personal information held by the Treasury Department, raising concerns about overreach and legality. In particular, criticism has arisen over conflicts of interest, given that he conducts business with the federal government through companies he operates, such as SpaceX and Starlink.

The Democratic Party is resisting the extensive government organization and operational reforms led by the Trump administration, spearheaded by Musk. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, who serve on the Treasury-related standing committee, urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) the day before to investigate Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for allowing Musk access to personal information. Additionally, the Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate introduced a bill the previous day to block the Department of Government Efficiency's access to the Treasury Department's payment system.

However, with the Republican Party controlling both the House, Senate, and the White House, such bills are largely symbolic and have a very low chance of passing.

While the Republican Party generally supports Musk, a close ally of President Trump, some voices of concern have emerged. Senator Susan Collins, who oversees federal government spending on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is one of them.

According to Politico, Senator Collins told reporters on the same day, "There is no doubt that the president has given Elon Musk much more power than I think is appropriate," adding, "Many aspects will be addressed in court." She further expressed concern, saying, "If the Trump administration is reclaiming budgets allocated by Congress for specific purposes, that is worrisome," revealing anxiety that the White House is attempting to weaken Congress's budgetary authority.