Legislation Introduced to Target Elon Musk’s Organization with the ‘BAD DOGE Act’

Last night, Congressman Dave Min from California introduced a new bill to Congress called the Bolstering America’s Democracy and Demanding Oversight and Government Ethics Act, or the “BAD DOGE Act” for short. This bill is part of a pair of new pieces of legislation aimed at addressing concerns about Elon Musk and his influence over government operations. The other bill, introduced by Representative Suhas Subramanyam from Virginia, is titled the Legislative Enforcement Against Setbacks from Harmful DOGE Actions Act, or the “LEASH DOGE Act.”

Since these bills are just being introduced, they have not yet been added to the Congressional record. However, you can read the full text of both bills on the websites of the Congresspeople who introduced them.

Among the two bills, the BAD DOGE Act is more assertive. It calls for the repeal of an Executive Order that established a particular government department. The bill argues that the order specifically states that the USDSTO (U.S. Digital Services Technology Office) must be led by a person appointed by the Office of Management and Budget, who is supposed to work on the President’s agenda related to DOGE (a cryptocurrency). The BAD DOGE Act highlights that Elon Musk is currently leading both the USDSTO and USDS (U.S. Digital Service), despite not being officially appointed to that role.

The act also points out that there are no government records confirming Musk’s formal role within the federal government, nor any indication that he is adhering to the disclosure or conflict-of-interest rules that federal employees must follow. Currently, the White House has stated that Musk is not an employee of DOGE, does not run it, and does not have the authority to make decisions about it. They have made this claim in legal documents related to an ongoing case with the state of New Mexico.

Many people find this hard to believe. Musk frequently comments on DOGE through social media, and he seems to exert significant influence over it, similar to how he transformed Twitter into a platform he now calls X. Over the past days, Musk tweeted repeatedly about making federal employees accountable for their actions, which suggests he is in charge, even without any formal appointment.

Congressman Min has shared that many people feel concerned about the current situation. In a statement about the BAD DOGE Act, he noted that various organizations he has spoken with, including food banks and health services, are worried about potentially losing their funding. He mentioned that institutions like UC Irvine could lose up to $125 million in promised funding if cuts take place, which would severely impact their work, including cancer research trials.

The BAD DOGE Act currently has four co-sponsors, all from the Democratic Party. The LEASH DOGE Act, which is a softer legislation, has twelve co-sponsors, also all Democrats. Unlike the BAD DOGE Act, which seeks to remove Musk from his role, the LEASH DOGE Act aims to require a report from the Comptroller General. This report will look into what DOGE is doing and assess any potential impacts on public health and safety or whether any privacy laws have been broken. The report is expected to be completed by December 31, 2025.

Overall, these proposed bills reflect rising concerns about Musk’s impact on government functions, highlighting the need for oversight and accountability in how public services are managed.