Oversight Committee Democrats Vote to Protect Americans’ Benefits, Services, and Private Information, as Republicans Move to Bless Trump, Musk Dismantling of the Federal Government
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2025)— Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led Committee Democrats in supporting legislation forcing the Trump-Musk Administration to comply with requests for transparency on DOGE’s dark dealings in the federal government. Committee Democrats also opposed Republican legislation to abdicate Congressional responsibility and grant fast-track authority to President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the federal government.
Committee Democrats Supported Legislation to Shine a Light on DOGE’s Dark Dealings in the Trump Administration:
House Resolution Investigating Musk’s Extensive Conflicts of Interest and Entrenched Corruption in the Trump Administration, introduced by Ranking Member Gerald E. Connolly, would require the President to provide information, documents, and communications to Congress related to Elon Musk’s status in the federal government, any conflicts of interest Musk has related to his role in the federal government, and any federal government contract involving a Musk-owned company or a company for which he serves on the board of directors.
House Resolution Investigating Trump-Musk Attacks on Federal Employees, introduced by Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, would require the Administration to provide documents, communications, and information regarding all federal employees put on administrative leave, removed, terminated, transferred, or assigned to another department on the recommendation of Elon Musk or DOGE; the Office of Personnel Management’s determination that employees classified as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or employed in an office that conducts work to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in government would be subject to removal; and the removal of nonpartisan agency inspectors general, and whether the Administration discussed notifying Congress as legally required.
Committee Democrats Opposed Republican Efforts to Give President Trump and Elon Musk a Free Pass to Gut Government Agencies and Benefits Programs
H.R. 1295, the “Dismantling Government Act,” introduced by Chairman James Comer, would use the shell of a long-dormant statute as a Trojan Horse to give President Trump and Elon Musk the unprecedented, filibuster-proof authority they crave to eliminate federal departments and agencies, statutory programs, government services, and regulatory protections that promote the health and well-being of American families.
Democrats offered a series of amendments to add commonsense safeguards to the bill.
- Ranking Member Connolly offered an amendment to ensure that any presidential reorganization plan preserves vital services to the public by restoring the federal workers purged and agency functions slashed by DOGE. The amendment also clarified the protections for the federal watchdogs that guard against waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption, which Trump blatantly violated when he took office and purged a total 18 IGs across 19 positions without stating any legitimate reason. Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Shontel Brown offered an amendment to protect Americans’ personal and private information from any unauthorized and unaccountable breach or exfiltration by DOGE. Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Emily Randall offered an amendment to ensure that Trump and Musk cannot put forth a reorganization plan that increases consumer prices or harms existing consumer protections. Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Suhas Subramanyam offered an amendment to ensure that any reorganization plan addresses any relevant existing conflicts of interest of the President, the Vice President, Elon Musk, and cabinet secretaries. Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Yassamin Ansari offered an amendment requiring any reorganization plan to fully restore any veteran’s service, benefit, or job that has been reduced, degraded, or eliminated by DOGE, and to prevent any future reduction or degradation in any veteran service, benefit, or job. Despite falsely claiming that Elon Musk’s rampages are not harming veterans, Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Wesley Bell offered an amendment to prohibit a reorganization plan from reducing or degrading service from the U.S. Postal Service, which provides a lifeline to rural communities, and from reducing, degrading, or eliminating any components, functions, and activities of the Postal Regulatory. Republicans voted No.
- Rep. Lateefah Simon offered an amendment to ensure that no reorganization plan would reduce any existing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, school lunch, or Affordable Care Act benefit. Republicans have repeatedly assured that Elon Musk’s chainsaw will not touch these benefits that millions of Americans rely on, yet they all voted No on this commonsense amendment.
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley offered an amendment to ensure that the bill could not be construed to allow a policy that supports racial segregation. Republicans voted No.
Committee Democrats also opposed legislation to violate the District of Columbia’s right to home rule by requiring that local law enforcement do the jobs of federal immigration officials at the expense of public safety, as well as a series of anti-union bills that would undermine safe and fair working conditions at our federal agencies.
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