UNELECTED BILLIONAIRE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY

UNELECTED BILLIONAIRE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2025)] [House] [Pages H516-H517] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] UNELECTED BILLIONAIRE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Norman). The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for 5 minutes. Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, President Trump was sworn into office. He won the popular vote and the electoral college. I didn't like the results, but I accepted them. For the past 4 years, I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle passionately defend Article I of the Constitution. Not anymore. I heard them speak about the importance of Congress' power of the purse. Not anymore. I heard them insist that only Congress can change laws and determine the structure of our government. Not anymore. In the past 2 weeks, we have seen a familiar pattern emerge: The President creates an issue, causing a crisis. There is confusion. Then, he fixes the crisis, often by walking back the very same issue he created. Just this week, he threatened tariffs against our closest neighbors, import taxes that would drive up the costs for American consumers. There was no real reason and no real justification, but after days of uncertainty for businesses across the country, President Trump backed down. What did he get in return? Promises from Canada and Mexico that they were already planning to do around border security. To make matters worse, while President Trump plays the bully on the world stage, an unelected billionaire has been running our government. Elon Musk, who was never confirmed by the Senate, never elected by the American people, now wields immense power. He has installed loyalists who stand to profit from unrestricted access to government records and the personal data of millions of Americans. He donated nearly $300 million to elect President Trump, and now he is getting his return on investment. He now has access to his competitors' financial information. He can dismantle agencies that have challenged [[Page H517]] him or threatened his businesses. The value of Tesla and SpaceX are tied directly to government approvals. If he doesn't get his way, he stands to lose billions. Elon Musk is not accountable to the American people, yet he is using his unchecked influence to reshape our government for his own gain. The world's richest man has received over $20 billion from the Federal Government in the past. He enriches himself by pretending to be a selfless innovator. He uses his social media empire to amplify voices that agree with him and to spread misinformation designed to divide and destabilize. He is now trying to shut down or overturn funding approved by Congress. This is funding that saves lives. Bipartisan programs, like PEPFAR, which provides lifesaving HIV treatment to millions, have been thrown into uncertainty. Stop-work orders have frozen global health initiatives. New funding obligations and disbursements have been suspended. Healthcare workers have been told to stop. Clinics are being forced to close. Essential medicine and supplies can no longer reach those in need. The impact is devastating, especially for women and children who rely on these programs for survival. Here at home, this administration has found a new scapegoat for everything that goes wrong: diversity, equity, and inclusion. A plane and helicopter crash in our Nation's Capital? Must be diversity, equity, and inclusion. Wildfires in Los Angeles? Must be diversity, equity, and inclusion. A major IT system failure? Must be DEI. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge? Must be DEI. Republicans blame DEI not because it is responsible but because it is an easy target because fear and division are their most effective tools. Yet, as the majority wages this culture war, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle ignore the real crises threatening our democracy and our communities. We Should Not Be Afraid To Teach Our History Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, we have entered Black History Month, but now Federal agencies are uncertain about how to recognize it due to new executive orders. The Pentagon even paused training about the Tuskegee Airmen because they weren't sure if teaching American history violated the President's mandate. We should not be afraid to teach our history to soldiers. We should not be afraid to teach our history to our children. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Maya Angelou, A. Philip Randolph, and many more titans for diversity, equity, and inclusion played essential roles in shaping our Nation. Their contributions made America stronger, and their stories need to be told. Yet, today, politicians are telling young Black and Brown children that they will never earn or deserve a place in this country because of the color of their skin. We are at a crossroads. We can stand up for democracy, truth, and inclusion, or we can allow fear and division to dictate our future. I choose to fight for a country where every person, regardless of race, religion, or background, has a fair shot. I choose to stand against corruption and self-interest that puts lives at risk. I choose to defend the values that make our Nation strong. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will remember their oath of office and that we answer to the U.S. Constitution, not a President. The silence from the other side is deafening. ____________________