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for the show Elon Musk News. Open from Wisconsin.
Just a comment because I've heard similar comments from
other members of your party and of course I love working with
you guys. When when Elon Musk or Doge or
or the president look into some of the federal employees around
here and we all know federal employees around here because
maybe we have relatives, we have friends what not work in the
government. We hear some scare stories about
people doing and there are many, many hard working federal
employees and glad we have good federal employees.
But we hear anecdotal evidence of people doing very little.
If President Trump is the head of the executive branch and he
discovers some employees doing very little, your position is
apparently that we must keep these people going through the
next budget or what have you and keep doing very little.
It is obvious to me that both President Trump and the American
public, upon discovering people who are doing very little work,
should ask that those employees be terminated.
It's not something he does joyfully, but that is what you
do if you are running the executive branch.
And it is ridiculous that we have to have President Trump
attacked and the Republican Party attacked when an effort is
made to find employees who are doing very little.
I am glad that President Trump is assigned people look into
this. And I, I, I, they're, they're
critical things you can say about the Republicans, but I
wish you'd focus on that rather than trying to claim that every
federal employee here in this town is necessary.
Would you yield for a question? Sure.
Well, because you're bringing up that it should be OK and you see
no problem with the Trump administration and with DOGE
doing this mass firing because, quote UN quote, people are doing
very little. How are they figuring out who's
doing very little? I'm just curious.
Well, you'll have to ask them. Right.
I'll have to ask them. So you're OK with being behind
a, well, something that's happening?
Mass Congressman Groffman's time.
The president is in charge of the executive branch.
I would assume at any given time people are being hired and being
fired, probably more than have been the last 50 years around
here. But they are they are are not
going to report to Congress every time they fill a position
is unnecessary that would. Be sure, gentlemen, yield this
time to Mr. Gosar you know, Glenn, I'd like to ask you about
wasn't wasn't there. This is not novel.
Having somebody like this wasn't the Ezekiel Emanuel part of the
Obamacare. And I don't know what's more
personal or our personal financial or our personal.
No, all presidents have unconfirmed advise.
Thank you. That is not a new thing either.
Where the gentleman yields. Chair, gentleman yields back
right. Is it your position that the
president can file delete any agency?
Credit Oh yeah, Joe, who yielded his time back chair, goes Mr.
Kristamorte from Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I, I just to very briefly address Mr. Grossman.
I, I, I take you at, you know, as being serious about wanting
to improve efficiency in government and so forth.
I think the issue is when you fire or give a pink slip to
200,000 probationary workers at one time, regardless of their
efficiency, I think that's where there's a serious concern that's
raised. But I want to just address one
other issue, Mr. Comer, and that's the US Postal Service.
On December 14th, 2024, the Washington Post reported that
the Trump administration was considering at that time a move
to privatize the Postal Service and push thousands of federal
service employees out of their jobs in favor of a broad
privatization of the agency's essential services.
Then just last week on February 20th, the Washington Post stated
that the administration is preparing to quote, dissolve the
leadership of the USPS and absorb the independent mail
agency into his administration. As you know, the Commerce
Department potentially throwing trillions of dollars of
e-commerce transactions into turmoil.
These reports are beyond troubling and I respectfully
request that you have a hearing again on the USPS.
You had a very good hearing the other day where we're we were
able to grill Mr. Dejoy and I learned a lot.
I think a lot of our members on both sides learned a lot.
I think we need to have a hearing on this particular
issue. As you know, the USPS is the
foundation of our $1.92 trillion mailing industry, LED
courageously by numerous veterans letter carriers who
deliver 44% of the world's mail. More importantly, no private
sector entity provides universal service across the nation, and
without these letter carriers and others, more than 51.5
million households and businesses, especially in rural
communities, Mr. Chairman, would have no guaranteed delivery.
As a member of this panel tasked with oversight of the federal
government activities, including the USPSI believe it's
essential, it's imperative that we have this hearing.
Sir, I know that you and the and the Ranking Member care deeply
about the USPS and what the administration is proposing to
do with the USPS, in my opinion, is illegal.
It is against the framework of the USPS and we need to look
into it. I yield back.
Gentleman yields back before I recognize Miss Green from from
Georgia I'll just responded when we see a proposal something we
will have something either a briefing or a committee hearing
or subcommittee hearing or or something I'm interested as well
to see what you mentioned potentially throw it into
turmoil. Some would argue the Postal
Service is already in turmoil right now with the the the
delays in certain mail sorting facilities.
So I agree with what you said. I know you're sincere and I
think Ranking Member Connelly and I have demonstrated we, we
want to support the Postal Service.
And so when we find out more, we'll we'll do something
immediately, have a briefing or a or a subcommittee hearing or
full committee hearing. OK, Chair, recognize Miss Green
from Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Democrat colleagues across the aisle are complaining and
pitching tantrums over Elon Musk and his Dodge teams cutting
waste, fraud and abuse from the executive branch and the federal
government. Claiming this is
unconstitutional is an outright lie.
Article 2 of the Constitution clearly states that the
executive power shall be vested in a President of the United
States of America. President Trump exercised that
power by appointing Mr. Elon Musk as a special government
employee. The President, via executive
order, created the US Dodge Service within the former US
Digital Service to implement the President's Dodge agenda by
modernizing federal technology and software to maximize
governmental efficiency and productivity.
Dodge has been brought in exactly like the US Digital
Service during President Obama's tenure.
This is not unconstitutional. 72% of Americans.
This is on both sides of the aisles.
You guys, these are people in your district.
These are people in my district. Agree that we need to cut the
ridiculous amount of waste, fraud and abuse because
Americans, all of us together are $36 trillion in debt, $36
trillion in debt is what should be unconstitutional.
Not doing everything we can to save the American people.
They're hard earned tax dollars. You can protest all you want
outside of departments of this government.
You can protest all you want, but the American people disagree
with you. You're protecting the
bureaucracy. The bureaucracy is not a
business. Those are not real jobs
producing federal revenue by the way.
They're consuming taxpayer dollars.
Those jobs are paid for by the American tax.
People who work real jobs, earn real income, pay federal taxes,
and then pay these federal employees.
Federal employees do not deserve their jobs.
Federal employees not do not deserve their paychecks.
And these are jobs that can be fired at will.
But you want to know why the American people can't pay for it
anymore? We cannot afford it, $36
trillion in debt. If you want to make that your
platform, your hill to die on, go ahead.
Because 72% of Americans agree with DOGE, agree with cutting
the waste, fraud and abuse, and agree with what this committee
is supposed to be about oversight.
So continue, continue your temper tantrums.
I would love to win the midterms.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Title A yields back chair guys,
Mr. Frost from Florida. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate it. You know, in the in the mission
statement that you've put out for this committee, it says it's
ensure that the economy, efficiency, effectiveness and
accountability of the federal government, which I think we all
agree on. We all want to combat waste
fodder and abuse. But The thing is that y'all are
all looking in the wrong places. You want to talk about making
cuts to things like Medicaid, which by the way, over 35% of
all the children in this country are covered under Medicaid.
Over 100,000 people in my district are covered under
Medicaid. People like the grifter in
chief, Trump and President Musk are openly using their public
offices to enrich themselves to the tune of billions of dollars.
So if we want to look at waste, fraud and abuse, which I'm down
to do, why is there complete silence on the other side of the
aisle about looking at the complete grifter that the is the
president of the United States and the richest man on the
earth, which is looking into things like.
Social. Security and.
Different things like that. Why don't we investigate out of
order the real? Corruption.
Hold off, hold off. Point of order.
Time. Point of.
Order, Mr. Chairman, Hold off, hold off, hold off.
There was a point of order when you said something.
Who? Who, who asked for it?
Mr. Higgins. I can refer to Elon Musk as the
president. I don't think the First
Amendment has been suspended in this committee yet.
Yeah, y'all were fine with with. Suspend for a second.
Just a. Few weeks ago.
But before Mr. Frost. Mr. Frost, right?
After being elected President of the United States.
Mr. Frost, before we proceed on. All of this, Mr. Chairman.
You like to hold on. I'm the, I'm the chairman.
I'm recognize, Miss Frost, and we'll recognize recognize you.
Would you like to revise your remark with respect to
improperly identifying the President of the United States?
I'll say President Musk and grifter and Chief Trump.
Hey, Mr. Mr. Chairman, point of order.
If I wanted to challenge someone to a.
Fight they would know it thank you there's.
There's an extra fundraising video for her.
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, I don't believe that Mister Musk
is protected by the rules of the House or the Committee and and
and. No, we're, we're looking at the
disparaging the president now. But I don't believe Mr. Frost
disparage the president. I believe he disparage Mr. Musk.
Well, he did disparage. Mr. Chairman, if Mr. Musk
actually team here, then maybe the.
Rule all right. I heard no disparagement.
I'll say something else. We'll save a lot of.
Time I'll say something else. OK, All right.
We're going to let Chair recognize Mr. Frost.
You still have 349. You're going to maybe revise the
the disparaging comment about the president because that's
supposed to be our decorum here. And.
It is supposed to be President Musk and the President of the
United States, Donald Trump, who is engaged in grifting of the
American people often use their public offices to enrich
themselves. Someone on the other side was
just asking how would you feel if you called someone else from?
Hold off, Hold off, Rich Frost, hold off.
There's a, There's a pending motion for disparaging the
president. The, the so the motion was words
taken down about disparaging the president.
And the chair finds the words for the gentleman from Florida
are not parliamentary because they constitute personalities
toward the president, which if you sit in the House floor,
that's always uttered by the presiding officer on the House
floor, you cannot disparage the president.
I'd say so. Mr. Chairman, would you please
read back to us the words that were disparaging because I
didn't hear them if. You're willing to request
unanimous consent to withdraw the disparaging president?
The comments about President Trump, I guess you can disparage
Elon Musk if you want. I will withdraw Drifter in
Chief, and I will. I will say the president's
grifting because you spent the last two years like president
word you can say, I can say that Trump is drifting.
What I will withdraw is calling him drifter in chief.
That is what I would. Share sustains the point of
order, and the words in question are ordered stricken from the
transcript of this proceeding. So the member is barred from
further participation. I, I, I challenge the ruling of
the chair. Challenge the ruling of the
chair. I moved.
To table move the OK, we have a motion to challenge rule in the
chair. And then Mr. Gosar made a motion
to table the second Conley Conley's motion.
So there's a motion and 2nd to table Mr. Conley's motion.
The motion is not debatable. As many as are in favor of
tabling signify by saying aye, aye.
All those opposed signify by saying no, no in the opinion.
Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded.
Vote A recorded vote is ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. Jordan? Mr. Jordan votes yes.
Mr. Turner. Mr. Gosar.
Mr. Gosar votes yes. Miss Fox.
Mr. Grossman. Mr. Grossman votes yes.
Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud votes yes.
Mr. Palmer. Mr. Palmer votes aye.
Mr. Higgins. Mr. Higgins votes yes.
Mr. Sessions. Mr. Sessions votes aye.
Mr. Biggs. Mr. Biggs votes aye.
Miss Mace. Miss Mace votes aye, Mr. Fallon.
Aye. Mr. Fallon votes aye.
Mr. Donalds. Mr. Perry.
Mr. Perry votes aye. Mr. Timmons.
Mr. Timmons votes aye. Mr. Burchett.
Miss Green. Miss Green votes aye.
Miss Bobert. Miss Bobert votes aye.
Miss Luna. Mr. Langworthy.
Mr. Burleson. Mr. Burleson votes aye.
Mr. Crane. Mr. Crane Votes aye.
Mister Jack. Aye.
Mister Jack votes aye, Mr. McGuire.
Mr. McGuire votes yes, Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill votes aye, Mr.
Connolly. Nay.
Mr. Connolly votes nay, Miss Norton.
No. Miss Norton votes no, Mr. Lynch.
No. Mr. Lynch votes no.
Mr. Krishnamoorthy no. Mr. Krishnamoorthy votes no, Mr.
Khanna. No.
Mr. Khanna votes no, Mr. Mfume. No.
Mr. Mfume Votes no Miss Brown, No Miss Brown.
Votes no, Miss Dansbury. Absolutely not.
Miss Dansbury votes no. Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia votes no Mr. Frost No Mr. Frost votes no.
Miss Lee. Miss Lee votes no.
Mr. Kasar. Miss Crockett.
Insulting people's. Appearance as well as trying to
fight them isn't a problem. Point of order, it's a yes.
Or no, we're so. Sad, but for those, no.
That our order. Yes or not.
Just skip our. Skip our.
Skip our here, skip our. Go to the next one, go to the
next the MSNBC anchor, go to the next one.
Don't count that. Go to the.
Next one, Miss Randall votes no. Mr. Subramanyam.
Wait. Mr. Subramanyam votes no, miss.
And sorry, Mr. Bell. Mr. Bell votes no.
Miss Simon. Miss Simon votes no.
Mr. Min No. Mr. Min votes no.
Miss Presley. Miss Talib?
Nope. Miss Talib votes no.
Mr. Chairman. Yes.
Mr. Chairman, votes yes. Mr. Chairman, how is Miss
Crockett recorded? Let's let's let's try this one
more time. How is Miss Crockett voted?
Miss Crockett is not yet recorded.
No all. Right.
I thank my colleague. Miss Crockett votes no.
Mr. Chairman, how is Mr. Kesar recorded?
Mr. Kasar is not recorded. Mr. Kasar votes no.
Mr. Chairman, on this vote the ayes are 20.
The nays are 19. Aye, the the motion to table
passes. I now recognize Mr. McGuire.
I want to say it's despicable that this committee is going to
silence me for bringing the Ross.
Mr. Frost. Mr. Frost.
Speak for the rest of the hearing.
Making millions of. Dollars.
Mr. Frost, Mr. Ranking Member, I'm going to have the Sergeant
armed remove him if he doesn't refrain.
All right. Chair recognizes Mr. McGuire.
Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry, parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. McGuire. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I'd. Like to.
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