The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency is holding its first hearing on Wednesday as Democrats cry foul on Elon Musk's growing influence in the federal government.
On Tuesday, Musk joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to defend DOGE and its overhaul of the federal government. His presence coincided with President Trump's signing of an executive order aimed at shrinking the size of government.
"We have this unelected and unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy, which has in a lot of ways currently more power than any elected representative," Musk claimed. "And this is not something that people want. It does not match the will of the people, so it's just something we have to fix."
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Musk is not on hand for Wednesday's hearing led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia.
“Fraudsters, organized criminals, malign foreign actors, and even corrupt government employees are filing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of fraudulent claims each year — and getting away with it," she said. "Every taxpayer dollar that goes to these criminals is one dollar less for hardworking Americans, who expect and deserve more from their government. The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will work hand-in-hand with President Trump to root out waste, fix broken payment systems, and investigate fraud schemes."
But Democrats have grown increasingly concerned about Musk's influence and potential conflicts of interest. The leading Democrat on the House Subcommittee, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, introduced the "Nobody Elected Elon Musk Act." She said the bill would hold Musk and anyone in charge of DOGE liable for claims against the federal government.
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"Over the past two weeks, Elon Musk and his cronies have infiltrated agency after agency, taking illegal actions in government agencies by withholding funds approved by Congress, shutting down agencies like USAID, and firing protected civil servants. They also accessed the personal information of all Americans, flagrantly disregarding our national security protocols," said Stansbury. "Elon Musk is fueling chaos and corruption, and taxpayers shouldn't pay for this. My bill would hold him and anyone in charge of DOGE responsible for their illegal actions."
The hearing drew four witness, three of whom invited by Greene. While Democrats and Republicans seemed to agree strong oversight of government spending and programs is needed, Republicans and Democrats largely disagreed on how to cut government waste.
"Rather than applauding the work of DOGE in helping to end such wasteful spending, some have launched a coordinated campaign to try to demonize Mr. Musk with the hope of somehow shifting focus away from the disastrous waste, fraud, and abuse that occurred on their watch," said Stewart Whitson, the senior director of federal affairs for the Foundation for Government Accountability.
But Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs for the Project On Government Oversight, noted the role that internal watchdogs can play, including inspectors general. Since taking office, President Trump has fired numerous inspectors general overseeing investigations into waste and fraud within their respective agencies.
"Inspectors general are vital to identifying and eradicating waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government," Hedtler-Gaudette said. "Congress should further solidify inspector general independence by providing for-cause removal protections. This will further insulate inspectors general from political pressure and enhance their ability to fulfill their independent watchdog function."
