Nebraska federal delegation applauds Musk, DOGE; some state senators call for oversight
Lawmakers gather around State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, center, after State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar raised a point of order against Cavanaugh on March 15, 2023. Pictured are, from left, State Sens. Jen Day, John Cavanaugh, Megan Hunt, Machaela Cavanaugh, Wendy DeBoer, George Dungan and Danielle Conrad. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — Nebraska's all-Republican congressional delegation largely applauded the work of billionaire technologist Elon Musk and his 'Department of Government Efficiency' while nine largely Democratic state senators are calling for oversight and opposition to Musk's influence.
State Sen. Megan Hunt, a nonpartisan progressive, led the letter with Democratic State Sens. John Cavanaugh, Machaela Cavanaugh, Terrell McKinney, George Dungan, Jane Raybould, Victor Rountree, Margo Juarez and Ashlei Spivey from the officially nonpartisan Legislature.
They urged Nebraska's delegation — U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts and U.S. Reps. Don Bacon, Mike Flood and Adrian Smith — to strongly oppose Musk's presidential appointment and his continued involvement in the federal government.
The lawmakers said the position has earned Musk, the wealthiest man in the world and a major campaign donor in 2024, 'unprecedented access' and 'significant influence over government agencies with little to no oversight.'
'While we agree that government efficiency and reform are important and worthwhile priorities, we believe the current situation poses unacceptable risks and conflicts,' the state senators said.
A member of Musk's team is reported to be a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln student.
Hunt wrote Wednesday on Musk's X, formerly Twitter, that her coalition was calling for hearings and investigations, including into potential legal violations, as she said Musk has access to classified information, financial systems and federal policy decisions that he has a stake in.
'This is corruption, plain and simple,' Hunt said.
Musk is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and several other private companies, which hold extensive financial interests in the agencies where he is now seeking to find 'efficiencies.'
Under federal law, special government employees like Musk can't participate in decisions that directly affect their business interests, the state lawmakers said. They argue this isn't being reined in by the U.S. Department of Justice.
'The American people deserve transparency and accountability, and it is crucial that our federal delegation stand against any potential corruption and call for investigations to discover any legal and ethical violations that may have occurred,' the letter states.
Flood in a Tuesday post on Musk's X, formerly Twitter, said that the work of Musk and DOGE was 'long overdue' and that it was 'disgusting' that U.S. taxpayer dollars were allegedly spent on 'sex change surgeries in Guatemala and travel for models to Fashion Week in Paris.'
Gov. Jim Pillen joined 25 other Republican governors last month urging Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to solidify DOGE-identified efficiencies.
Bacon told First Alert 6 on Tuesday that Trump is fulfilling his promise to trim government waste and that the president has the right to appoint people to such positions. He said Congress ultimately 'controls the purse.'
Bacon, in a Wednesday tweet to an article from CNN, said the U.S. Treasury Department has assured members of Congress that Musk has only been able to access financial information in a 'read-only' format, not in a way where his team could change payments.
'Congress and the American people need to be reassured that DOGE is being run by qualified individuals who have been vetted and authorized access appropriate for their positions,' Bacon told First Alert 6 on Tuesday. 'I support the DOGE mission but let's make sure the process is 100% fully transparent, secure, that people are qualified, and that we receive regular updates.'
Letter to Federal Delegationn
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