Congresswoman: House Republicans Should Stand Up to Elon Musk | Opinion

One month into President Donald Trump’s second term, only one person in the country has achieved as much attention as the president himself: Elon Musk. But there is an important distinction between the two men.

I’m a Democrat who was elected on the same night as Donald Trump, in a district and a state that he won with votes from many of the same Nevadans who voted for me. I also represent 40 fellow purple-district Democrats as the Battleground Leadership Representative in the House Democratic Caucus. Nowhere on any ballot in any district across the country was Elon Musk’s name.

I wish I could give the president the benefit of the doubt for deputizing his allies (as presidents have always done) to make life better and more affordable for everyday Americans. But Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, with billions in self-serving government contracts, has not done one thing that will lower costs for working families. In his first month, he has infiltrated the private taxpayer information of millions of Americans, frozen federal investments already signed into law by Congress, and indiscriminately laid off thousands of public servants—including those who keep our skies safe at the Federal Aviation Administration, oversee the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, respond to the bird flu outbreak, and care for our veterans.

What do all of these issues have in common?

They affect red congressional districts just as much as blue ones. And it only takes three Republicans from those red districts to stand up and show their constituents they represent them, not Elon Musk.

I actively work with Republicans just as much as I work with Democrats, earning myself recognition as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and, more importantly, the trust of my constituents. It also means that I’ve broken with my party and taken tough votes on everything from immigration to the Middle East to gas stoves.

And for every Democrat like me, there’s a Republican in the exact same position.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans in swing districts like us go by many different Washington monikers: moderates, centrists, battlegrounders, etc. In reality, it all boils down to one thing: knowing how to defy our party affiliation and represent our local communities regardless of national pressures. And while there’s been plenty of scrutiny on how Democrats are responding to Musk and the Trump administration, there has been very little conversation around what our Republican counterparts are doing. Let’s not forget—Republicans are the ones currently in the majority, in control of the House, the Senate, and the White House.

There are three Republicans in the House of Representatives who represent districts won by Kamala Harris. There are many more in districts that Donald Trump won by a knife-edge margin. Even more notably, the current House majority has nowhere near the flexibility it had during the last Republican trifecta (in fact, it’ll ‘ll likely need Democrats for some of its must-pass legislation). For example, in 2017, House Republicans came to Washington with a 47-vote majority.

The margin this year? Three.

Right now, there is a bill in the House that would stop Elon Musk from accessing the private taxpayer information of millions of Americans. We know that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will never bring it up for a vote, but it only takes three Republicans to sign a discharge petition forcing it to the floor. In fact, Democrats and Republicans did the exact same thing last Congress in order to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, addressing another issue that affected Republican and Democratic constituents alike.

It’s not just about protecting data, either. We’ve seen story after story of how Musk’s indiscriminate layoffs of civil servants—from nuclear safety workers to Veterans Affairs health care workers to National Park Rangers—are sending shock waves through Trump country, despite initial assumptions that federal workers and those who rely on them are all “far Left.” House Republican leadership even included cuts to Medicaid and Medicare in their budget—programs we know are overwhelmingly popular with voters across the political spectrum.

To be clear, I’m all for cutting government waste and saving taxpayer dollars. In fact, I’ve supported bipartisan efforts in Congress to do just that—I’ve returned more than $5.7 billion directly back to Nevada taxpayers since coming to Congress. But recklessly firing nuclear safety workers, aviation safety workers, and the people who care for our nation’s veterans isn’t the way to do it.

Fortunately, there are mechanisms for accountability. One of them is in the courts, which have stepped in to slow down this unconstitutional onslaught. But our Constitution lists the powers of Congress first for a reason: because congressional action is the only way to ensure durable legal protections.

Right now, we just need three Republicans to join us and be the key to that action. I know they are out there, and I know how much they stand to gain. Armed with strong bipartisan brands and backed by constituents who desperately want bipartisanship on display, it is in their best interest to do so.

Congresswoman Susie Lee represents Nevada’s Third Congressional District and has been ranked the most bipartisan member of Congress. She also represents fellow centrist Democrats in competitive districts nationwide as the Battleground Leadership Representative in the House Democratic Caucus.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.