[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H509-H510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           A HOSTILE TAKEOVER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Madam Speaker, today is February 6. It is my 
80th birthday, and I should be celebrating, but you know what? I am 
mourning. You know why? Because Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire 
donor, has mounted a hostile takeover of the Federal Government.
  It is an astonishing display of corruption: A billionaire CEO who is 
not confirmed, who is accountable to no one, and who donated millions 
to Donald Trump's election campaign is now in charge of the Treasury 
Department's payment system. He is doing what vulture capitalists have 
done to American businesses across the country.
  They come in, do a hostile takeover, strip a company of its parts, 
and layoff a third of the hardworking people who make the company run. 
But you know what the difference is? This company is the United States 
of America. The parts that he is stripping out are our private 
information. They are attempting to dismiss committed workers who make 
this country run, and they are ripping the American people off in the 
process. Donald Trump is cosigning all of it.
  The richest man in the world now has access to the personal 
information and financial information of millions of Americans, 
including Social Security numbers and bank account details. This 
unprecedented breach of public trust puts countless Americans at risk 
of identity theft, financial fraud, and political retaliation.
  Handing over such sensitive information to a reckless billionaire 
with a history of self-serving business dealings and foreign interests 
is not just irresponsible, it is dangerous.
  He is attempting to dismantle the systems within the Federal 
Government for several reasons. First, contrary to the image he has 
worked to cultivate, he is not a competent manager. He does not 
understand how many government organizations function or the important 
role they play in supporting the United States and its citizens. Rather 
than learn, he is choosing to break them like a frustrated and 
impatient child.
  Second, he sees an opportunity to make more money. His companies 
already receive billions in government contracts by taking control of 
key parts of the Federal system. He can steer more taxpayer money into 
his pockets.
  Last is ideological. He was born and raised in South Africa under the 
apartheid system, and he is a white supremacist. He elevates the 
opinions of neo-Nazis on his social media platform. He proudly gave a 
Nazi salute at a rally earlier this year. He does not want the 
government to work for or answer to anyone who is not a straight, rich, 
White man.
  Since the moment my office opened Monday morning and continuing, my 
constituents have been calling my office understandably furious at this 
naked display of corruption. I share in their outrage. This is an 
outrageous thing we are witnessing.
  My congressional colleagues and I have been in discussions over the 
past

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few days about what we can do to fight back. I am fully committed to 
using every tool at my disposal to resist this egregious, un-American, 
and unconstitutional overreach.
  To those listening, call your Representatives and tell them how you 
feel about this out-of-touch billionaire reaching his hands into your 
private information. To the civil servant employees who work every day 
to keep the government running, I ask you to stand your ground.
  Tell those minions of the unelected billionaire donor that you don't 
work for them; you work for the American people. When they demand 
access, tell them no. When they tell you that you are dismissed, tell 
them to speak to your union rep because you are not leaving until you 
hear from them.

  Stand up, American people. Stand up for your families and protect 
your rights. To my Republican colleagues, aren't there at least three 
who believe in America?
  THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks 
to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.

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