Lawmakers Challenging Musk’s Authority in DC

Lawmakers know their place on Capitol Hill— the were voted in by their constituents after all. But billionaire Elon Musk was not voted in, but appointed to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Now, a…

Sandra RhodesFeb 5, 20252 min read

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’s funding directives.

“The president is suggesting that he has authorization. I think there is more than some question,” Murkowski said.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Congress should receive advance notice before such a move is made.

Whether Musk had the authority to shut down USAID “is a very legitimate question,” she said.

“There is a requirement in the law for 15 days’ notice of any reorganization. We clearly did not get that. We got the letter yesterday,” Collins said.

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The lawmaker added the law “also calls for a detailed explanation of any reorganizations, renaming of bureaus, shifting of centers, and again we have not received that.”

She wants to talk to other Appropriations Committee members “about our next steps.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said a move like shutting down USAID would violate the Constitution in a strict sense.

He added former President Joe Biden also pushed boundaries by using executive power.

Tillis said it “would be helpful” for Trump or Musk to get Congressional approval before doing something so drastic.

“At some point it’s going to require congressional action to have staying power,” he said.