U.S. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan plans to introduce a new legislative proposal aiming to restrict "special government employees" from obtaining federal contracts. This proposed bill, known as the ELON MUSK Act, stands for Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy. The bill seeks to address potential conflicts of interest by preventing individuals in influential government positions from directing federal spending towards their personal or business interests.
The introduction of this bill follows the appointment of Elon Musk by former President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly formed advisory group. DOGE possesses extensive powers across various federal agencies, many of which oversee industries where Musk has substantial business investments. Musk, the owner of companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company, has received over $20 billion in federal contracts. Notably, SpaceX maintains federal contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense.
The governing statute on financial conflicts of interest explicitly prohibits special employees from
“participating in matters that affect [their] financial interests.”
Representative Pocan emphasized the importance of impartiality in government dealings, stating,
“No government employee, ‘special’ or not, should have any financial interest in who the government does business with.”
In response to Musk's demands for unrestricted access to federal agency computer systems, including the Treasury Department's payments system, there has been significant political pushback. The Treasury's system is critical, managing essential functions such as Social Security and Medicare payments. Consequently, House and Senate Democrats are spearheading efforts to block "unlawful access" to this system. Additionally, two federal employee unions have initiated legal action to prevent DOGE from accessing the Treasury system.
Musk's involvement in federal agencies has incited public protests and political opposition, highlighting concerns about his influence and potential conflicts of interest. The ELON MUSK Act aims to safeguard against such scenarios by ensuring that individuals in positions of power do not exploit their roles for personal gain.
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