Rep. Miller-Meeks Defends Elon Musk’s Government Role Amid Criticism

February 12, 2025 – Washington, D.C.

During this morning’s House floor speeches, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) strongly defended the Biden administration’s appointment of Elon Musk as a Special Government Employee (SGE) under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Her remarks came in response to growing criticism from Democratic lawmakers and other officials who argue that Musk’s unelected and unaccountable status raises serious concerns about government oversight.

Miller-Meeks Calls Out Double Standards

In her speech, Miller-Meeks pushed back on claims that Musk’s role lacks accountability, pointing out that many government employees wield massive power without being elected or directly accountable to voters. She compared Musk’s appointment to other high-profile unelected bureaucrats, stating:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the nation’s pandemic response and enforced public health mandates, was never elected yet made sweeping decisions affecting millions of Americans.
• Lois Lerner, former IRS official, was accused of targeting conservative groups by denying them 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, yet faced little accountability.
• The anonymous leaker of the Dobbs decision exposed a Supreme Court draft ruling, a move that Miller-Meeks argued was politically motivated and went unpunished.

She criticized her Democratic colleagues for only expressing outrage when accountability efforts threaten their control over the government.

Musk’s Role in DOGE: Transparency vs. Secrecy

Miller-Meeks emphasized that Musk’s work within DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) is entirely public-facing, unlike other bureaucratic actions that often happen behind closed doors.

“Elon Musk was hired by the President of the United States or brought on to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse. That’s it. Every move being made by him and DOGE is being made in the public eye as an audit—not in the shadows.”

She argued that the real issue at hand is not accountability, but rather the fear among entrenched government figures that Musk and DOGE could expose corruption and systemic inefficiencies.

Partisan Divide Over Musk’s Appointment

Democratic lawmakers have raised serious concerns about Musk’s lack of public sector experience and potential conflicts of interest, particularly given his ownership of companies with government contracts, including SpaceX and Tesla.

Critics claim that placing a billionaire with immense corporate influence in a government watchdog role creates ethical risks, especially when Musk has been a vocal opponent of many federal regulatory agencies.

However, Republicans and government efficiency advocates argue that Musk’s outsider status makes him the perfect candidate to expose waste, bureaucratic bloat, and inefficiencies that long-time Washington insiders would rather ignore.

What’s Next?

With the House and Senate both working on budget bills, scrutiny over government spending is at an all-time high. Musk’s DOGE audits are expected to dig deeper into federal agencies, potentially uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse that could reshape future spending decisions.

As the debate over Musk’s Special Government Employee status continues, the larger battle over transparency and government efficiency is only just beginning.