GOP blocks Democrats' latest effort to subpoena Musk
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Rep. Stephen Lynch speaks at a House Oversight Committee hearing on artificial intelligence at the U.S. Capitol on June 5. Photo: House Oversight Committee
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday blocked their Democratic colleagues' second attempt to force Elon Musk to testify before Congress.
Why it matters: Democrats felt they had even better standing to compel the Tesla founder and former Trump lieutenant's testimony now that he is out of government.
- The move to subpoena Musk came during a hearing on the use of artificial intelligence in the federal government.
- As the head of DOGE, Musk oversaw the integration of AI — including his own Grok AI — into federal agency workflows to analyze data and try to root out waste fraud and abuse.
What happened: Republicans succeeded in tabling — killing — the motion, voting 21 -20 along party lines to do so.
- Democrats on the panel tried and failed to subpoena Musk in early February, shortly after he took up the reins of DOGE.
- Then-ranking member Gerry Connolly's (D-Va.) motion failed in a 19-20 vote, also along party lines.
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a relatively Musk-friendly Democrat who made headlines for being absent during the February vote, was present on Thursday and sided with his party in voting to subpoena Musk.
The intrigue: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) had to hold the vote open for about 20 minutes because Democrats attended the hearing in far greater numbers than Republicans.
- They peppered her with mocking points of order and points of inquiry about her alleged delay tactics.
- "For those of you watching at home, the Republicans are not in the room, so they're trying to find their members," quipped Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).
What they're saying: "Americans' concerns have only deepened since" February, acting ranking member Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) said at the hearing.
- "Musk may say he has stepped away from his role in the federal government, but his recklessness will continue to have devastating consequences for America for years, possibly decades to come," he said.
- In addition to the use of Grok AI and the centralization of Americans' data, Lynch pointed to his letter to President Trump asking whether Musk used illicit drugs while serving in the federal government.
- Musk has denied a report from the New York Times that he used drugs, including Ketamine, while stumping for Trump in the 2024 election.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
