- United States
- Mo.
- Letter
Congress must act to rein in the unchecked power President Trump has handed to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Giving an unelected billionaire businessman unilateral control over government spending and operations, including access to classified information and shutdown of agencies like USAID, represents an unprecedented consolidation of executive authority that undermines democratic accountability. This brazen defiance of constitutional norms demands a forceful response from the legislative branch. DOGE's ability to halt funding for programs and policies it opposes without Congressional approval flagrantly violates the separation of powers. Musk's conflicts of interest and potential for self-dealing are alarming given his corporate interests stand to benefit from the data he now controls. To preserve the system of checks and balances, Congress should use its power of the purse to restrict DOGE's activities and Musk's influence over government operations. Avenues include denying funding for DOGE activities, passing laws explicitly limiting its scope, exercising vigorous oversight, and if necessary, impeaching officials who enabled this power grab. Protecting democratic institutions from further erosion is imperative before this extreme consolidation of power becomes entrenched. The nation's principles of democratic governance with distributed authority hang in the balance.