February 8, 2025
Dear Friends,
From the moment Donald Trump was sworn in as President in front of a crowd filled with his wealthiest supporters, it was clear that unelected billionaires would wield unprecedented control over his administration. Some of the richest men in the world did everything possible to reinstall Trump in the White House, and now they’re wasting no time demanding a return on their investment.
Leading the way on this hostile takeover is Elon Musk, whose campaign to dismantle our federal government has reached a fever pitch. Over the past few weeks, Musk and his lackeys have exploited their newfound influence to seize sensitive data, force out dedicated public servants, and gut the essential programs American families rely on — all in service of policies that benefit only the ultra-rich. This corrupt assault on our democracy must be stopped.
In recent days, agents of Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) have forced their way into federal agencies, demanding access to sensitive payment systems and confidential personnel data. Trump’s loyal appointees quickly handed over the keys, granting Musk and his cronies unfettered access to highly restricted records on millions of federal employees — including those in sensitive security positions — as well as to critical systems that disburse veterans’ benefits, Social Security checks, essential food and housing assistance, and much more. In all of these actions, Musk is acting as a “special government employee” while still managing and profiting from the companies that gave him a net worth of nearly half a trillion dollars, presenting staggering conflicts of interest that he is exploiting to their fullest extent.
Unfazed by this brazen corruption, President Trump has given Musk and his allies free rein to pursue their ultimate goals: decimating federal agencies, eliminating regulations that curb corporate profits, and purging the government of anyone unwilling to carry out Trump’s radical agenda — all so they can line their own pockets by stealing from ours. Just weeks into the start of this new administration, Musk’s campaign of destruction is well underway.
Earlier this week, Musk’s team effectively shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), placing nearly all of its employees on indefinite leave and cutting off the flow of lifesaving aid to people in desperate need across the globe. DOGE agents are now targeting numerous other agencies, including the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — putting a wide range of essential government programs at risk.
At the same time, Musk and his allies are taking steps to fire thousands of career civil servants, presenting every federal employee with a dubious “buyout offer” and threatening legal retribution against anyone who resists his directives. The message is clear: nothing and no one will stand in the way of the world’s richest man as he works to raze our government to the ground for his own benefit.
In the wake of this onslaught of lawlessness and extremism, many of you have asked me an important question: what can be done to stop this? With Republicans pledging total subservience to the administration and Democrats in the minority in both houses of Congress, the answer is not simple. But despite these challenges, my Democratic colleagues and I are committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight back and hold this administration accountable.
This week, I joined fellow Democrats and advocates from across the nation outside the doors of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Education to demand meetings with DOGE about the impact of these illegal actions on those agencies, our families, and our communities. While we were denied entry, we will never be deterred in our fight to protect essential services and shine a light on this administration’s abuses of power.
Through the courts, we are challenging Trump’s illegal executive orders and Musk’s unconstitutional seizure of federal funds lawfully allocated by Congress — a strategy that is already seeing results. We will continue to question key witnesses, work with whistleblowers to expose misconduct, and demand answers from Trump’s appointees when they betray the public trust. Most importantly, we will raise our voices in opposition, ensuring the American people understand the full extent of this administration’s efforts to eviscerate essential services and trample on our Constitution.
On the last day of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one observer asked Benjamin Franklin whether the founders had created a republic or a monarchy. Franklin replied simply, “A republic, if you can keep it.” The past few weeks have made one thing clear: our democracy is not self-sustaining. It demands vigilance, engagement, and a collective commitment to preserving freedom and justice for future generations.
With that in mind, I’m deeply grateful to the thousands of you who have reached out to my office in recent days to make your voices heard. Your engagement serves as a powerful reminder that democracy depends on all of us. Over the next four years, I will be standing side by side with all of you as we fight together to protect our neighbors, defend our values, and safeguard our democracy.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- Recent actions by the Trump administration have raised serious concerns about potential violations of federal laws and regulations at our federal agencies.
- Whistleblowers play a crucial role in exposing such misconduct, ensuring government accountability, and protecting the public trust.
- That’s why this week, I set up a Whistleblower Tipline page on my website where you can submit a confidential whistleblower complaint.
- Federal law prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers and safeguards their right to communicate concerns to Congress.
- Protected disclosures include reporting violations of law, gross mismanagement, abuse of authority, or substantial dangers to public health or safety.
- If you submit a complaint, your personal information will be kept confidential.
- Generally, the choice to remain confidential or go public with your information will remain up to you, and staff will ask for explicit instructions before sharing your information externally.
- Anonymous submissions are permitted, but providing your contact information allows us to follow up more effectively on your concerns.
- If you would prefer to submit your allegation through a House Committee, you can do so at the following links:
