Rep. DeGette: “I am fighting back against this illegal assault on our freedoms.”
WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following video in response to the slew of illegal and undemocratic actions taken by Elon Musk and Donald Trump this week:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi. I’m Diana DeGette.
Donald Trump is a bully. And, like most bullies he folds when people push back. But his actions over the last few weeks have caused real damage.
Most of those actions were illegal and some have already been struck down by the courts. But over the past few days, I’ve heard from hundreds of constituents who have been impacted by his efforts to freeze programs like Head Start, Medicaid, and so many other areas that we rely on in Denver.
And all of us are shocked that President Trump has allowed Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, to make these decisions and to run rampant with Americans’ personal data.
I am fighting back against this illegal assault on our freedoms.
Keep in mind that courts have already overturned President Trump’s blatantly unconstitutional effort to undermine 14th amendment birthright citizenship and his freezing of federal dollars last week. And just today, another court ruled that these actions will not stand.
I am working closely with my colleagues here in Congress, our Colorado Attorney General, and outside groups to support the lawsuits that will protect our communities.
And even though the Democrats are in the Minority in Congress, we are working to introduce legislation to prevent Musk’s unlawful access to the Department of Treasury payment system. We only need 3 Republicans to join us to stop this dangerous and unprecedented action.
And finally, with the latest budget deadline looming in just a few weeks, Democrats in the House will not vote for cuts to our essential services and we will demand restoration of the grants and expenditures that were already approved in the last Congress.
Republicans will once again attempt to raise the debt ceiling to give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations, and I will continue to say flat-out no.
This is a scary and unprecedented time, but if we all stand together against this unconstitutional power grab, we will restore sanity to our nation.
In the meantime, if you have been impacted by the Trump/Musk freezes or have any questions or concerns, please call my office at (303) 844-4988 or check me out online.
Rep. DeGette’s full remarks can be seen here.
###