US Representative Introduces Bill to Ban Special Government Employees from Federal Contracts

The US Democratic Representative Mark Pocan plans to introduce a bill designed to ban "special government employees" like Elon Musk from having federal contracts, thereby preventing them from steering spending towards their own self-interest.

The Proposed Bill: ELON MUSK Act

The proposed bill, called the ELON MUSK Act, stands for Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy. According to Pocan, "No government employee, ‘special’ or not, should have any financial interest in who the government does business with." He emphasized that Elon Musk is the poster child for this type of abuse, citing his involvement in over $20 billion in federal contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense.

Musk’s Conflicts of Interest

Musk’s SpaceX holds federal contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense. The federal government has in place ethics rules for how special government employees should behave, including prohibitions on participating in matters that affect their financial interests. However, Musk appears poised to ignore some of these rules, particularly with regards to his involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial advisory group with far-reaching power across federal agencies.

DOGE and Musk’s Conflicts of Interest

When President Donald Trump entered the Oval Office, he put Musk in charge of DOGE, which has sparked public protests and political opposition. Musk’s infiltration of federal agencies has also raised concerns about his ability to remain objective in his dealings with the government. As the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, Musk also owns X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company, creating potential conflicts of interest.

Public Protests and Opposition

Musk’s involvement in federal agencies has already sparked public protests and opposition, as he has demanded unfettered access to federal government agency computer systems, including the Treasury Department’s payments system, which handles Social Security and Medicare. House and Senate Democrats have also introduced a bill to block "unlawful access" to the Treasury payments system, and two federal employee unions have filed suit to block DOGE access to the system.

Conclusion

The proposed bill, ELON MUSK Act, aims to prevent special government employees like Elon Musk from steering spending towards their own self-interest. With Musk’s involvement in federal agencies and his potential conflicts of interest, it is clear that this bill is necessary to protect taxpayers and maintain the integrity of the government.