U.S. Consultant Grace Meng has raised considerations over Elon Musk’s potential affect at NASA. By way of Getty Photos
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U.S. Consultant Grace Meng has raised considerations over Elon Musk’s potential affect at NASA.
NASA, the Nationwide Aeronautics and House Administration, is the U.S. authorities company chargeable for the nation’s civilian house program and aeronautics analysis.
Meng has penned a letter to performing NASA Administrator Janet Petro calling for Elon Musk, in his position as a key determine on the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), and the division itself to have their entry to NASA revoked.
Meng stated she penned the letter to Petro after studying that Musk and DOGE officers can be given unrestricted entry to NASA’s personnel and contracting information. Meng additionally paid a go to to NASA this week to lift considerations about Musk’s entry to the company, stating that it had come to her consideration that the DOGE group can be granted entry to NASA.
She wrote within the letter to Petro that it might signify a “major conflict of interest” if Musk, who at present serves as CEO of SpaceX, which is NASA’s largest non-public contractor, obtained entry to data that might probably profit the corporate on the expense of the American taxpayer and SpaceX’s opponents. Meng pointed to the truth that SpaceX obtained $2.3 billion from NASA in fiscal yr 2023 alone.
Musk denied that his in depth enterprise dealings with the Authorities amounted to a battle of curiosity throughout a press convention within the Oval Workplace alongside President Donald Trump on Tuesday. He additionally contended that Trump’s victory in final November’s election gave him license to hold out authorities reform.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk advised reporters Tuesday. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Meng, who serves as Rating Member of the Home Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Associated Companies (CJS), which oversees NASA, famous within the letter that Musk and DOGE have obtained “unfettered” entry to a number of authorities our bodies since Trump took workplace on Jan. 20, including that offering related entry to NASA would signify a big battle of curiosity whereas additionally creating the potential for litigation and demonstrations.
Elon Musk’s DOGE group gained entry to NASA at present. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, which is NASA’s largest non-public contractor.
This can be a MAJOR battle of curiosity.
Let’s speak about it👇 pic.twitter.com/KL1LeY2N6W
“Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest—exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” Meng stated within the letter to Petro.
“Moreover, providing special access to the owner of SpaceX would likely open NASA to expensive litigation, protests from others participating in competitive grants, or other actions that would force NASA to take finances and resources away from key missions and research.”
Meng added that NASA, which receives greater than $20 billion in federal funding yearly, ought to at the least set “clear and public ground rules. ”
“I strongly urge you to revoke any access to NASA headquarters for Mr. Musk and his staff,” Meng continued.
“At the very least, I demand that your agency set clear and public ground rules so that you do not expose internal, deliberative, or proprietary information. I am sure we can agree that American taxpayers expect and deserve such protection.”
Musk’s DOGE group lately prompted controversy when it gained entry to the Treasury Division’s cost and information system. A federal choose briefly restricted DOGE from accessing Treasury information Saturday, stating that the transfer might trigger “irreparable harm”.
