Musk/Trump’s extraordinary abuse of power attempting to unilaterally cut trillions from our budget is frightening. These actions not only ignore the fact these funds have been allocated by Congress, but Musk/Trump apparently believe they have the power to do whatever they want with taxpayer dollars.
We will lose much of America’s progress if these actions are allowed to stand. 2,600 programs helping American citizens were affected by the proposed Office of Management and Budget freeze. Many remain at risk from Musk’s poorly informed, illegal rampage through our nation’s checkbook.
International programs have been shut down, with employees locked out of their computers and workplaces. People are being turned away from lifesaving treatment at U.S.-funded facilities. U.S.A.I.D. was created by Congress to oversee humanitarian, development and security programs in over 100 countries, facilitating good will and saving lives. Three million lives are saved annually through vaccines, thousands by access to U.S.-provided HIV treatments, and over 26 million children are kept from starving in the world’s poorest countries.
These efforts to gut the government’s spending are severely damaging U.S. relief and diplomacy efforts and will have the same effect at home.
Who is better able to decide what’s important for America: Congress or a South African-born billionaire splitting his time between “X” posts about spending, blowing up rockets over the Caribbean, and trying to get people to buy Cybertrucks?
As Sen. Chris Murphy (D -Conn.) recently said, “The people get to decide how their taxpayer money is spent. Elon Musk does not get to decide.”
Carol Cure
Durango
