[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H513-H514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                PARSLEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Illinois). The Chair 
recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POCAN. Madam Speaker, if you have ever had a steak dinner, you 
have likely seen a little sprig of parsley on the plate. Yes, it is 
food, but clearly it is meaningless to your dinner. It is simply a 
splash of color, likely left on your plate when you are done that will 
get washed off or thrown away in the garbage because ultimately it is 
meaningless, which is how the Republican majority in Congress is acting 
during this moment in our Nation.
  As Donald Trump bends and breaks the Constitution and congressional 
authority, almost every Republican lawmaker is sitting back and playing 
the part of parsley. They are silent, maybe a little colorful, but 
ultimately useless. That is too bad.
  As a coequal branch of government to the executive branch, Congress 
has an obligation to steer our country's direction. The current 
majority doesn't even have a steering wheel, much less a car. They are 
sitting on the sidelines cheering on the takeover of our 
constitutionally given powers acting like pieces of parsley.
  Well, House Democrats won't stand by. We may not be in the majority 
but we are going to call out every illegal action and improper use of 
power that the executive branch is taking that is hurting our country. 
We are going to encourage, and where we can, participate in lawsuits, 
and we are going to expose those who sit quietly by and allow a want-
to-be authoritarian and his billionaire benefactor to attempt to 
destroy our democracy.
  We will fight Republicans' enabling agenda in Congress. We won't be 
washed off the plate. Too much is at stake.


                               Elon Musk

  Mr. POCAN. Madam Speaker, Elon Musk is the 47th President's financial 
benefactor. He has invested $277 million of his own money into electing 
Donald Trump and other Republicans, and now apparently, he thinks he 
owns them.
  Elon Musk is destroying our Federal Government. He doesn't understand 
how things work, and he is breaking it agency by agency every single 
day while Republicans sit idly by.
  I think the worst part is that Elon Musk profits mightily from 
contracts with the Federal Government. His company's contracts total 
over $20 billion, more than $3 billion in the last year alone. Now, he 
has the new title of special government employee, for all practical 
purposes, a Federal employee himself.
  Now, if you follow the law, Federal employees can't also profit from 
the Federal Government via a Federal contract because they can use 
their position to swing contracts their way. USAID doesn't offer much 
profit for Musk, so he wants it dismantled, but NASA does, and his 
contract likely won't get touched. Maybe it will even grow.
  That is why we have laws that prevent Federal employees or other 
officials, including Members of Congress, from profiting off the 
Federal Government. It is grifting from the taxpayers, and it is 
against the law, except apparently, if you are Elon Musk.
  Enough is enough. I am introducing legislation to ensure that special 
government employees like Musk cannot profit off of government 
contracts. Elon Musk can't be both the beneficiary and decider of where 
Federal funds are spent simply because he feels he bought himself a 
President.
  It is unconscionable that Elon can collect $20 billion from American 
taxpayers with one hand while slashing funds for childcare and 
healthcare, nutrition assistance, and public education with the other.

  The Eliminating Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State

[[Page H514]]

Kleptocracy Act, or the ELON MUSK Act, would put a stop to this grift 
on the taxpayers. Let's pass it.


                Politics Should Not be a Spectator Sport

  Mr. POCAN. Last week, Donald Trump tried to do what many 
authoritarian leaders and dictators in other countries have done. He 
tried to steal money that Congress appropriated for the American people 
so that he could provide a tax break to Elon Musk and other 
billionaires and multimillionaires across the country.
  His main focus has been to raise the $4 trillion that he needs to 
fund his tax break for the wealthiest for the next 10 years.
  That theft will ultimately take away funds from education and 
housing, healthcare, veterans benefits, and funds for working people so 
that we can give billionaires an extra home in the Cayman Islands or 
membership to Mar-a-Lago.
  Social Security and Medicare should beware. A privatized post office 
is possible. Programs like Medicaid, healthcare and long-term care for 
people with disabilities and those in need, for sure beware.
  Everything we warned you about in Project 2025 is coming true and 
more. Shutting down Federal agencies won't lower the costs of groceries 
one dime, but it sets up a gigantic tax break for Elon Musk and Donald 
Trump.
  Now is the time to ensure you don't treat politics as a spectator 
sport. It is about our survival.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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