Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sparred with President Donald Trump's Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon on Thursday over cost-cutting efforts underway by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
"I believe the American people spoke loudly in the election last November to say that they want to look at waste, fraud and abuse in our government," said McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Pressed by Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, if she would follow through with cuts suggested by the "DOGE brothers," McMahon said she can be counted on to follow congressional statute "because that's the law."
TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD 'REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION'
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also asked if McMahon believes DOGE should have access to "private student data," suggesting that their probes "should frighten everyone."
"It is my understanding that those employees have been onboarded as employees of the Department of Education, and therefore, they operate under the restraints of utilizing access of information," McMahon said.
"That's not my understanding," Murray shot back.
"That's my understanding," McMahon responded.
Murray said it was "deeply disturbing" that DOGE staffers aren't "held accountable" and that it should "frighten everyone" if they have access to students' private information.
INTO THE RING: TRUMP EDUCATION CHIEF PICK MCMAHON TO TESTIFY ON CUTTING 'RED TAPE' AMID DOGE SWEEPS
The Department of Education canceled over $100 million in grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of a broader cost-cutting effort led by DOGE, Fox News Digital previously reported. DOGE announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts, totaling $881 million, including $101 million allocated for DEI programs focused on educating educators about oppression, privilege and power, in a post Monday on X.
"Your tax dollars were spent on this," Musk wrote of the DOE spending.
DOGE reported that the Department of Education spent an additional $1.5 million on a contractor to "observe mailing and clerical operations" at a mail center, a contract that was also terminated in the dramatic spending audit.
At one point, moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised the terminated contracts as she asked about fears from some educators that grants for tutoring might be on the chopping block.
"There are many worthwhile programs that we should keep," McMahon said in response to Collins. "But I'm not yet apprised of them. I want to study them. I'd like to get back and talk to you more and to work with you."
DOGE has been on a tirade to cut spending within the DOE, including terminating three grants in early February, one of which funded an institution that had hosted faculty workshops on "Decolonizing the Curriculum." Trump's early executive orders launched a federal review of DEI practices in federally funded educational institutions.
McMahon testified during Thursday's hearing that she has "not" had any conversation with Musk about the Department of Education.
The Defense Department maintained a $9,147,532 contract with Reuters between 2018 and 2022 for a "large scale social deception" and "active social engineering," according to a purchase order posted by Elon Musk.
The post Receipt: Reuters Held $9 Million Defense Department Contract for ‘Large Scale Social Deception’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Apple has resumed advertising on X for the first time since pausing ads more than a year ago, following the trend of major advertising "pausing" their spending on Elon Musk's platform due supposedly to concerns about "brand safety."
The post Apple Resumes Advertising on Elon Musk’s X After Year-Long Absence appeared first on Breitbart.
ABC News legal analyst Sunny Hostin claimed Thursday on ABC's "The View" that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are attempting to create a "permanent underclass" for cheaper labor.
The post ABC’s Hostin: Trump Attacking Department of Education to Create ‘Permanent Underclass’ Workforce appeared first on Breitbart.
Elon Musk's X has agreed to pay approximately $10 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump.
The post Elon Musk’s X to Pay Donald Trump $10 Million Settling Censorship Lawsuit appeared first on Breitbart.
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts blasted Elon Musk on Wednesday and argued that his DOGE efforts are undermining the "values" of the United States, and promised to "fight" against them.
"Elon Musk has probably never stepped into a public school, his kids will get private tutors, he doesn’t understand it, he has no idea what this is all about," McGovern, who represents the 2nd Congressional District of Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital after a rally against DOGE cuts to the Department of Education.
"Our teachers do an incredible job. They deserve to be respected. The Department of Education is more than just a line item," he continued. "It represents real people, and it represents our future. And so, yeah, I'm pissed."
McGovern explained that "not a single" Democrat protesting is upset about cutting fraud or waste, but said that education is not the place to start.
"I use colorful language because I can't believe we're at this moment, and I'm really pissed at my Republican colleagues who are sitting there twiddling their thumbs, afraid to say anything because they're afraid they might get a primary challenge," the House Democrat continued. "But you know what? Being in Congress is about helping people, not screwing people. And it's about time they grew a backbone and came out here and joined us and pushed back against this nonsense."
McGovern argued that the Department of Education is "not a line item" and that it "represents real people" who could lose important funding for their children in schools.
"I'd like to start with the Department of Defense first, McGovern said, "where I can tell you there's tons and tons of waste. They've never been audited successfully. All these other departments and agencies have been audited. But here's the deal. This is not about rooting out fraud, waste, or abuse. This is about them shutting down important agencies of departments so they can have money to give billionaires and big corporations a tax break, and I'm just sick and tired of the well-off and the well-connected to this country, getting whatever the hell they want while everybody else gets screwed. We can't stand for that."
"I mean, when is the last time Musk ever walked into a public school?" McGovern said. "When's the last time you walked into a supermarket? When's the last time he actually talked to, like, real people? And as far as this DOGE thing, I don't even know what kind of clearances Musk has or the young minions that he has around him."
"I don't know what kind of clearances they have going through all this stuff. But we should be worried. They're undermining our democracy here. They're undermining, you know, our values. And as I said, if they want to fight, I’ll give them a goddamn fight. We're ready for this fight."
When asked whether he wants Musk to answer questions before Congress, McGovern said he'd like to see the Tesla and Space X CEO testify under oath.
"I do, I want him to come before Congress. I want them to be sworn in. So he can't lie. I mean, I saw that press conference, and It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life. I mean, these guys, this is. You can't make this stuff up."
DOGE's spending cuts have drawn the ire of numerous Democrats in recent weeks prompting rallies where lawmakers have pledged to fight Musk's efforts.
The Department of Education, which Trump pledged to eliminate when he was on the campaign trail, has been a particularly heated subject, and Trump recently suggested that he still intends to get rid of it and send education decisions to the states.
"Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job," Trump said this week. "They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40."
CNN's Anderson Cooper clashed with former GOP Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday over the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) findings, as the CNN host accused Sununu of putting words in his mouth.
"It’s 23 days in here, guys, 23 days. You’re talking about 2.3 billion that was saved last year. These guys are saving 2.3 billion a day," Sununu said after praising President Donald Trump and Elon Musk for transparency. "It’s all going to come because what they also said was, if we have to go to Congress, we’ll go to Congress. We’ll show where it is."
Musk, the head of DOGE, has been focused on determining areas of federal funding waste. Musk spoke to reporters from the Oval Office on Tuesday and emphasized cutting federal spending was "essential."
"He’s giving very specific things, but he’s not actually giving any evidence of that," Cooper pushed back. "But some of the details that have come out like the $59 million spent on luxury hotels. It’s actually not."
PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND ‘HUNDRED OF BILLIONS’ IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES
"You’re talking about the FEMA money that was abused for migrants. That was FEMA money for migrants. That’s okay now?" Sununu shot back.
Cooper said he didn't think it was okay and told Sununu, "Don’t put words in my mouth."
The former New Hampshire governor asked Cooper if he would stop that process.
"Don’t be a d--k. What I’m saying is the portrayal by him is just not factually accurate. He’s talking about luxury hotels," he said, shaking his head.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a CNN commentator and co-host of "The View," interjected and said, "I think the issue, too, is these are congressionally appropriated funds. I think you and I, as conservatives, could look for a lot of things in the federal budget we would be more than happy to see done away with. But I think that there have been things that have been presented as one thing and then turn out to be something very different."
Later in the show, Cooper apologized to Sununu.
"I was mean, I was rude to you," Cooper said, surprising the GOP governor. "I don't know why I said that."
"Are you kidding?" Sununu responded. "I grew up with seven brothers and sisters, and I’m a Sununu."
Federal judges have blocked President Donald Trump's executive orders related to stemming the flow of illegal immigration, as well as slimming the federal bureaucracy and slashing government waste.
"Billions of Dollars of FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE, has already been found in the investigation of our incompetently run Government," Trump wrote on TRUTH Social on Tuesday. "Now certain activists and highly political judges want us to slow down, or stop. Losing this momentum will be very detrimental to finding the TRUTH, which is turning out to be a disaster for those involved in running our Government. Much left to find. No Excuses!!!"
Judges in U.S. district courts – the lowest level in the three-tier federal court system – have mostly pushed back on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. Here are the six times judges have blocked Trump's executive orders so far:
AS DEMOCRATS REGROUP OUTSIDE DC, GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADOPT NEW PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND TRUMP AGENDA
The Trump administration quickly pushed to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money sent to New York City to house migrants, saying it had "significant concerns" about the spending under a program appropriated by Congress. The Justice Department had previously asked the appeals court to let it implement sweeping pauses on federal grants and loans, calling the lower court order to keep promised money flowing "intolerable judicial overreach."
McConnell, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, is presiding over a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic states filed after the administration issued a memo purporting to halt all federals grants and loans, worth trillions of dollars.
"The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional," McConnell wrote, "and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country."
The administration has since rescinded that memo, but McConnell found Monday that not all federal grants and loans had been restored. He was the first judge to find that the administration had disobeyed a court order.
The Democratic attorneys general allege money for things like early childhood education, pollution reduction and HIV prevention research remained tied up even after McConnell ordered the administration on Jan. 31 to "immediately take every step necessary" to unfreeze federal grants and loans. The judge also said his order blocked the administration from cutting billions of dollars in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeal on Tuesday rejected the Trump administration's effort to reinstate a sweeping pause on federal funding.
The federal appeals court said it expected U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island to clarify his initial order.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, on Monday ordered lawyers to meet and confer over any changes needed to an order issued early Saturday by another Manhattan judge, Obama-appointee Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, that banned Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing Treasury Department records. Vargas instructed both sides to file written arguments if an agreement was not reached.
The order was amended on Tuesday to allow Senate-confirmed political appointees access to the information, while special government employees, including Musk, are still prohibited from accessing the Treasury Department's payment system.
On Friday, 19 Democrat attorneys general, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, sued Trump on the grounds that Musk's DOGE team was composed of "political appointees" who should not have access to Treasury records handled by "civil servants" specially trained to protect sensitive information like Social Security and bank account numbers.
Justice Department attorneys from Washington and New York told Vargas in a filing on Sunday that the ban was unconstitutional and a "remarkable intrusion on the Executive Branch" that must be immediately reversed. They said there was no basis for distinguishing between "civil servants" and "political appointees."
They said they were complying with the Saturday order by Engelmayer, but they asserted that the order was "overbroad" so that some might think even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was banned by it.
"Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency's work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the President," DOJ attorneys wrote, adding that the ban on accessing the records by Musk's team "directly severs the clear line of supervision" required by the Constitution.
Over the weekend, Musk and Vice President JD Vance reacted to the escalating conflict between the Trump administration and the lower courts.
"If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that's also illegal," Vance wrote broadly. "Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."
Musk said Engelmayer is "a corrupt judge protecting corruption," who "needs to be impeached NOW!"
Boston-based U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr., who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, kept on hold Trump's deferred resignation program after a courtroom hearing on Monday.
O'Toole on Thursday had already pushed back the initial Feb. 6 deadline when federal workers had to decide whether they would accept eight months of paid leave in exchange for their resignation.
A "Fork In the Road" email was sent earlier last week telling two million federal workers they could stop working and continue to get paid until Sept. 30. The White House said 65,000 workers had already accepted the buyout offer by Friday.
The country's largest federal labor unions, concerned about losing membership, sued the Office of Personnel Management, asking the court to delay the deadline and arguing the deferred resignation program spearheaded by Musk is illegal.
Eric Hamilton, a Justice Department lawyer, called the plan a "humane off ramp" for federal employees who may have structured their lives around working remotely and have been ordered to return to government buildings.
TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKED BY THIRD FEDERAL JUDGE
The Trump administration on Tuesday said it is appealing a Maryland federal judge's ruling blocking the president's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for people whose parents are not legally in the country.
In a filing, the administration's attorneys said they were appealing to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. It's the second such appeal the administration has sought since Trump's executive order was blocked in court.
The government's appeal stems from Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman's grant of a preliminary injunction last week in a case brought by immigrant rights groups and expectant mothers in Maryland. Boardman said at the time her court would not become the first in the country to endorse the president's order, calling citizenship a "precious right" granted by the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
The president's birthright citizenship order has generated at least nine lawsuits nationwide, including suits brought by 22 states.
On Monday, New Hampshire-based U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, said in relation to a similar lawsuit that he wasn't convinced by the administration's arguments and issued a preliminary injunction. It applies to the plaintiffs, immigrant rights groups with members who are pregnant, and others within the court's jurisdiction.
Last week, Seattle-based U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour, who was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan, ordered a block of Trump's order, which the administration also appealed.
The Trump administration is expected to argue before a federal judge Wednesday that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is rife with "insubordination" and must be shut down for the administration to decide what pieces of it to salvage.
The argument, made in an affidavit by political appointee and deputy USAID administrator Pete Marocco, comes as the administration confronts a lawsuit by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees – two groups representing federal workers.
Washington-based U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, on Friday ordered a temporary block on plans by the Trump administration to put 2,200 USAID employees on leave. He also agreed to block an order that would have given just 30 days for the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave to move their families back to the U.S. at the government's expense.
Both actions by the administration would have exposed the workers and their families to unnecessary risk and expense, according to the judge.
The judge reinstated USAID staffers already placed on leave but declined to suspend the administration's freeze on foreign assistance.
Nichols is due to hear arguments Wednesday on a request from the employee groups to keep blocking the move to put thousands of staffers on leave as well as broaden his order. They contend the government has already violated the judge's order.
In the court case, a government motion shows the administration pressing arguments by Vance and others questioning if courts have the authority to check Trump's power.
"The President's powers in the realm of foreign affairs are generally vast and unreviewable," government lawyers argued.
Fox News' Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she talks to Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk every couple of days as he spearheads the administration's effort to slash wasteful spending.
"We communicate back and forth every few days or so," she told Fox News Digital in an interview. "I'll send additional ideas that we come up with."
According to Ernst, during a meeting at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November, she gave Musk "an eight-page memorandum blueprint with a number of cost-saving ideas."
SCOOP: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED 'IMMEDIATELY' FOR BORDER SECURITY
"He literally is taking that and running with it," the Iowa Republican remarked.
She said she simply sends new ideas directly to Musk, and "pretty soon you'll see a tweet out on X."
When asked whether she thought she would ever be working to audit the government with the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the owner of X, Ernst laughed, "Never in a million years."
TRUMP ON VERGE OF NEXT CABINET VICTORY WITH LATE-NIGHT TULSI GABBARD SENATE VOTE
Since Trump took office last month, DOGE has taken swift action to audit agencies and departments within the executive branch, rooting out contracts, programs and spending that Trump and Musk consider unnecessary or wasteful.
The effort has been met by Democrats with protests, as lawmakers have shown up outside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Treasury and the Department of Education to demonstrate. Some Democrats have even attempted to enter the buildings, but were prevented.
NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS
On the other hand, Republicans have cheered the initiative. For example, Ernst told Fox News Digital that DOGE's actions so far have been "tremendous."
As for criticisms of how DOGE's staffers are conducting their audit and what information they are gaining access to, the Iowa Republican maintained that it is completely legal in her opinion. "This is the executive branch and they are scrutinizing the executive branch. So, of course, it's legal," she said.
LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER: THE LITTLE-KNOWN TRUMP NOMINEE WHO MAY NEED TO RELY ON DEMS
"There is nothing in the Constitution that says the president cannot scrutinize the expenditures, especially when those dollars are going to programs that members here in Congress did not anticipate," she noted, referencing jaw-dropping programs being uncovered by DOGE, showing significant money going towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), among other initiatives.
Fox News Digital reached out to Musk's DOGE for comment.
Sparks are expected to fly at Congress’ first Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee meeting Wednesday, according to one Democratic lawmaker in the House of Representatives.
Democrats have blasted billionaire Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tapped to lead DOGE, over the past week for trying to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending and trim the more than 2-million-person federal workforce.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told Axios that she plans to use the hearing to "clarify for the American people" why DOGE’s actions are "illegal" and why "Elon Musk has no official role to do this."
"I think it's going to be a sh--show. I don't really anticipate anything productive coming out of this," Crockett said. "I don't anticipate that it's going to be nice. I anticipate full-on combat, because DOGE is clearly the devil right now."
DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’
DOGE subcommittee chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told the outlet she has "high hopes" that Republicans and Democrats will engage productively during the hearing, which she said will focus on "Medicaid improper payments."
"We're going to be talking about solutions, there are going to be big savings," she said, adding that she feels the issue is bipartisan.
‘THIS HAS TO STOP’: HOUSE DEM FACES BACKLASH FOR ‘PROMOTING PHYSICAL VIOLENCE’ AT DOGE PROTEST
On Tuesday, Musk appeared with Trump in the Oval Office as the president prepared to sign an executive order concerning the billionaire’s work leading DOGE.
Musk, in some of his first public comments on leading DOGE, told reporters that there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but that they need to be accountable, and the budget deficit needs to be addressed.
He also pushed back against critics who have accused him of mounting a hostile takeover of the government, saying he wants to add "common-sense controls" to federal spending and that cutting government waste is not "draconian."
"The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get," Musk said. "That’s what democracy is all about."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dozens of activist and legal groups, elected officials, local jurisdictions and individuals have launched more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration since Jan. 20 in response to his more than 60 executive orders, as well as executive proclamations and memos, Fox News Digital found.
Trump long has been a legal target, which hit a fever pitch during the 2024 election cycle when Trump faced four criminal indictments, including a criminal trial in Manhattan in the spring of 2024 when he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the four cases, pointing to them as evidence of lawfare at the hands of Democrats working against his political efforts.
Upon Trump's election win in November 2024, state attorneys general, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, publicly said they would ready legal battles against the Trump administration for actions they view as illegal or negatively impact residents.
"We faced this challenge before, and we used the rule of law to fight back," James, who repeatedly has leveled suits against Trump, said following his win. "And we are prepared to fight back once again because, as the attorney general of this great state, it is my job to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law. And I will not shrink from that responsibility."
Just roughly three weeks back in the Oval Office, Trump's administration has been hit with at least 54 lawsuits working to resist his policies.
Fox News Digital compiled a list of the groups, state attorneys general, cities or states, and individuals who have launched lawsuits against the Trump administration's executive actions. The list includes the various groups and individuals challenging the Trump administration in court, as well as the executive order or proclamation that sparked the suit.
Amid the flurry of lawsuits against Trump and his administration, Democratic elected officials and government employees have spoken out against the orders and the Trump agenda overall.
Democrats and government employees also have staged protests as the Department of Government Efficiency investigates various federal agencies as part of its mission to cut government overspending and weed out corruption and mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
"That's not acceptable," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declared in January. "We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We're going to fight it in the streets."
"We will see you in the court, in Congress, in the streets," Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said at a rally outside the Treasury Department earlier in February.
"We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a--es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at the same rally.
TRUMP 100% DISAGREES WITH FEDERAL JUDGE'S 'CRAZY' RULING BLOCKING DOGE FROM TREASURY SYSTEM
Trump joined Fox News' Bret Baier for an exclusive interview ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday, where he was asked about a lawsuit filed by attorneys general to restrict DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk, from accessing the Treasury Department's systems and a judge temporarily blocking the DOGE team from the data.
"Nineteen states attorneys general filed a lawsuit, and early Saturday a judge agreed with them to restrict Elon Musk and his government efficiency team, DOGE, from accessing Treasury Department payment and data systems. They said there was a risk of ‘irreparable harm.’ What do you make of that?" Baier asked Trump in the interview clip. "And does that slow you down and what you want to do?"
"No, I disagree with it 100%," Trump said. "I think it's crazy. And we have to solve the efficiency problem. We have to solve the fraud, waste, abuse, all the things that have gone into the government. You take a look at the USAID, the kind of fraud in there."
"We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of money that's going to places where it shouldn't be going," Trump said when asked about what DOGE has found while auditing federal agencies in search of government overspending, fraud and corruption.
This tracker will be updated with additional lawsuits as they are confirmed.
An Oregon congresswoman is determined to protect federal workers from possible retaliation by introducing new legislation that focuses on "federal workers who stand up against Elon Musk’s grotesque seizure of critical government agencies."
Representative Maxine Dexter has proposed the "Stop Musk Act" which states, "No Federal employee may be retaliated against, including any retaliation occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, for resisting, circumventing, or preventing Elon Musk or individuals he oversees from taking unlawful or unconstitutional actions relating to Federal agencies."
The bill addresses, what Dexter alleges, is Musk’s recent seizing of control of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s payment system, exposing Oregonian’s personal financial information, shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) putting the lives of millions of people at risk.
PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND 'HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS' IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES
She alleges that the billionaire has "the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) undermining our work to combat the climate crisis. This is only the beginning. Under this legislation, federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk’s takeover would be protected against any present or future retaliation for their efforts."
The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers.
"The world’s richest man should not have the power to unilaterally dismantle the federal government and the critical services it provides Oregonians. Federal employees are at the forefront of fighting Elon Musk’s power grab, and we must protect them.
TRUMP DEFENDS MUSK'S DOGE AMID DEMS' RESISTANCE EFFORTS | FOX NEWS VIDEO
President Trump continues to defend DOGE’s work alongside Musk and has predicted that he will find billions in fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, his actions have been met with outrage from some Democrats.
"I'm going to tell him very soon… to go check the Department of Education. He's going to find the same thing. Then I'm going to go into the military. Let's check the military. We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse, and the people elected me on that."
Trump and Musk have asked federal workers to leave their jobs, and even offered a buyout to some, giving them the opportunity to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30.
Dexter says she is concerned as thousands of federal workers in Oregon are voicing their opinions about cuts to federal agencies.
"All week, I have heard from constituents who are demanding action. Let me be clear: we will use every legislative, judicial, and public pressure tactic to stop Musk’s takeover. This multi-front battle will be fought in the courts, the halls of Congress, and the public sphere.
"We must stay loud. We must stand tight. We must press on."
FIRST ON FOX: Three leaders at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, Fox News Digital confirmed.
CFPB's Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta placed Lorelei Salas, the CFPB’s supervision director, and Eric Halperin, the agency’s enforcement chief, and Zixta Martinez, the agency's deputy director, on administrative leave, an agency spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
The departures come after acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, told employees of CFPB on Monday to not report to work and to "get approval in writing before performing any work tasks." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent briefly served as acting CFPB director before Vought earlier in February, and had also told staffers to halt their work "unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law."
The agency spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Halperin defied Bessent's order and resigned in response to being placed on leave Tuesday. Halperin was made aware of his leave via an email and responded six minutes later that he was resigning, the New York Post reported earlier Tuesday.
"I write to provide notice of my resignation… Since the building is closed, please provide instructions on how to return my equipment," Halperin reportedly responded to the email. "Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It was an honor."
Salas also "sent out an email blast" in response to the notification she also was placed on leave, but did not officially file her resignation, the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
RUSSELL VOUGHT CONFIRMED TO HEAD GOVERNMENT'S LEADING BUDGET OFFICE AFTER DEMS HOLD 30-HOUR PROTEST
The pair is claiming to reporters that they resigned, as opposed to being placed on leave, to "try and save face," the agency spox added.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Salas and Halperin told Fox Digital that the Trump administration was working to "sideline" government employees.
"As we’ve seen many times already, Trump and Musk are trying to sideline dedicated public servants who won’t go along with their plans to break the law," the spokesperson said. "CFPB staff have a responsibility to protect consumers, and that includes upholding longstanding laws on the books."
Both Halperin and Salas have ties to left-wing billionaire George Soros' nonprofit, the Open Society Foundation, a CFPB press release from 2021 shows. Halperin served as a senior advisor to Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Program, his biography in a CFPB press release states, while Salas received a government fellowship from the Open Society Foundations.
The CFPB is an independent government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair financial practices in the private sector. It was created in 2010 under the Obama administration following the financial crash in 2008.
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has been investigating various federal agencies in February in search of finding and eliminating government overspending, fraud and corruption.
On Friday, Musk posted a message on X, reading, "CFPB RIP," building anticipation that the agency was the next to face investigation.
Protests have since been staged outside of the of CFPB headquarters in Washington, including Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who originally proposed the agency, declaring on the streets, "We are here to fight back."
"This is like a bank robber trying to fire the cops and turn off the alarm just before he strolls into the lobby," Warren told the crowd on Monday.
"The financial cops, the CFPB, are there to make sure that Elon’s new project can’t scam you or steal your sensitive personal data," Warren said. "So Elon’s solution, get rid of the cops, kill the CFPB."
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