WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, House Democrats made an unsuccessful attempt to summon billionaire Elon Musk to testify about the activities of his supporters who have infiltrated various federal agencies, including the Treasury Department.

Rep. Gerald Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia and the senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, proposed the measure during a meeting focused on “Rightsizing Government.” However, the motion was quickly dismissed by the Republican majority in a party-line vote.

This incident marks the latest in a series of attempts by congressional Democrats to address what they view as Musk’s influence over federal technology systems, claiming he serves as an informal advisor to former President Donald Trump. His newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is aimed at reducing government spending and regulations, but critics argue this initiative lacks oversight and poses risks to information security.

“President Trump and Elon Musk are wielding a wrecking ball to systematically dismantle our government piece by piece,” Connolly stated. “As Congress, we have a constitutional obligation to uphold the laws we established.”

During the hearing, a staff member showcased budget charts allegedly depicting some of the cuts proposed by Musk and Trump.

Connolly highlighted that committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed a desire to partner with Democrats to ensure the federal government functions more efficiently for the American public.

Comer indicated that this collaboration would include engaging with Musk – the CEO of Tesla, founder of SpaceX, and owner of the X social media platform – and his team at DOGE.

Reflecting on this sentiment, Connolly asserted that the committee had a duty to inquire more about Musk’s activities as he deploys his DOGE team across federal entities like the Treasury, the Office of Personnel Management, and the United States Agency for International Development, which recently placed nearly all of its 10,000 global employees on administrative leave.

According to a message obtained by YSL News, the Trump administration has alerted federal employees they may face furloughs unless they accept a buyout offer that is set to expire on Thursday.

As the hearing progressed, the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk’s DOGE representatives had accessed Medicare and Medicaid payment systems, a claim later verified by YSL News.

“Who is this unelected billionaire to dismantle federal agencies, terminate employees, reassign them, offer early retirement packages, and implement extensive reforms without any congressional oversight or agreement?” Connolly queried.

However, when Connolly officially moved to subpoena Musk, Republicans swiftly acted to shut down the motion. Although some Democrats vocally supported it, Comer utilized his chairman’s gavel to restore order.

“Mr. Chairman, it’s outrageous that this committee won’t even consider a motion… to invite him to appear before the OVERSIGHT committee?” voiced Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat from New Mexico, amidst disruptions from a group of unidentified Republicans.

“This is demagoguery,” one Republican shouted. “This is out of order!”

“Out of order. Out of order,” several other Republicans chanted in unison.

“You’re out of order,” Comer interjected.

Following a brief exchange with Stansbury, Comer approved a Republican motion to table Connolly’s formal request. A roll call concluded with Republicans securing the vote 20 to 19.

“The ayes have it, and the motion fails. I would point out, Mr. Ranking Member, that you could have invited Mr. Musk as your minority witness,” Comer noted. However, he added that the Democrats “chose to have a college professor” instead.

The Congressional Research Service, which provides independent research support to Congress, clarifies that invited witnesses might not attend if requested, yet committees have the power to “subpoena reluctant witnesses” to attend, as Connolly attempted.

Musk was unavailable for comment, and the White House did not immediately respond to queries regarding whether Elon Musk should appear before Congress.

Recently, Musk shared on X that his DOGE team comprises highly skilled and well-qualified individuals operating within federal agencies with Donald Trump and the White House’s implicit endorsement.

“Time to confess: Media reports claiming that @DOGE employs some of the best software engineers in the world are indeed accurate,” Musk stated in a post on Monday.

On Wednesday morning, responding to an X post from Stansbury, Musk shared an image of himself in a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and a large gold chain sitting behind a D.O.G.E. sign reading, “Can I help you?”

Later, Connolly posted on Musk’s platform, X, expressing his intention to have Musk appear before the Oversight Committee regarding his “unlawful takeover of agencies across the government.”

“Republicans blocked my motion without permitting any discussion,” Connolly tweeted. “They will stop at nothing to conceal Elon Musk’s wrongdoing.”