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BumRushDaShow

(146,900 posts)
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 05:42 AM Feb 4

Democrats Say They're 'Pulling the Fire Alarm' on Trump and Musk

Source: Newsweek

Published Feb 03, 2025 at 4:39 PM EST Updated Feb 03, 2025 at 5:57 PM EST


Washington Senator Patty Murray said during a press conference on Monday that she and other top Democrats are "pulling the fire alarm" with Senate procedure after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly gained access to Treasury Department data.

"We are pulling the fire alarm," Murray said. "It is up to Republicans, who are the majority in Congress who are passing these nominations, who are sitting silently by while Elon Musk goes into departments, into agencies and takes your information. It is up to them to decide whether they want to get out the fire hoses or sit in the fire."

Why It Matters

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force run by Musk, President Donald Trump's billionaire ally, is working to cut wasteful federal spending. DOGE has been granted access to "sensitive Treasury data," including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, the Associated Press reported. Musk has been working as a "special government employee," a White House Official told the AP. He does not receive a paycheck for his work.

What To Know

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer kicked off the press conference Monday with other top Democrats, calling out the "unelected shadow government" that has been "conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government." "Donald Trump essentially handed DOGE the Social Security data of virtually every American citizen," Schumer said. "Donald Trump gave DOGE access to America's personal refund data. He gave DOGE access to people's Medicare and Medicaid benefits, disability data, veteran benefit data. Worst of all, we don't know what DOGE intends to do with this information." Schumer said that he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are working together on legislation to "stop unlawful meddling." The Democrats noted that DOGE is not a part of the government and has no authority to "shut programs down or ignore federal law."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-say-theyre-pulling-fire-alarm-trump-musk-2025532

41 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Democrats Say They're 'Pulling the Fire Alarm' on Trump and Musk (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Feb 4 OP
Keep Up The Noise! Think. Again. Feb 4 #1
But what are the SENATORS personally going to do? Bluetus Feb 4 #22
There's only 47 Democratic Senators AdamGG Feb 4 #25
Wrong Bluetus Feb 4 #30
BS woven Feb 4 #39
Sorry, you guys are obviously right AdamGG Wednesday #40
Hahaha! OldBaldy1701E Feb 4 #2
"Meddling"? "Meddling"? ReRe Feb 4 #3
I would grab you a couch... OldBaldy1701E Feb 4 #4
Hey ReRe Feb 4 #5
I like it! (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Feb 4 #35
RIGHT? It's a fucking coup, Chuck!!! Scrivener7 Feb 4 #7
Meddling? Magoo48 Feb 4 #10
It is a 5-alarm smoldering fire in a small waste basket Bluetus Feb 4 #23
The Schumer solution that accomplishes nothing, zero, zip, and zilch. magicarpet Feb 4 #31
The Reps are powerless too. twodogsbarking Feb 4 #6
Excellent point orangecrush Feb 4 #9
I found this interesting, media deer-in-the-headlights article this morning by NBC BumRushDaShow Feb 4 #11
Whataboutism Owens Feb 4 #15
The Dems Wavelight Feb 4 #8
"It is up to Republicans" HereForTheParty Feb 4 #12
I called my two Republican senators today, both DC and NC offices. yardwork Feb 4 #13
DOGE is NOT a department!! It's a made up thing! Owens Feb 4 #14
Unfortunately the fire department has already been defunded hueymahl Feb 4 #16
Couldn't we just deny a quorum at every stage in government? EarthFirst Feb 4 #17
You mean they finally figured out there is a fire ? republianmushroom Feb 4 #18
Sounding the alarm is fine ... surrealAmerican Feb 4 #19
...all enemies...domestic coffeenap Feb 4 #20
I don't know if that's a good analogy. Oopsie Daisy Feb 4 #21
"We're pulling the alarm -- it's up to the Republicans to do something." malthaussen Feb 4 #24
And our rally has been cancelled Easterncedar Feb 4 #26
Can a federal judge stop this?? AdamGG Feb 4 #27
I use the DC #'s, but if filled up I go back to local #... electric_blue68 Feb 4 #28
Instead of wasting time working on legislation that is doomed to fail gab13by13 Feb 4 #29
Schumer can blame GOP for all the confirmations, but there have been a lot of Vichey Dem Senators helping them Attilatheblond Feb 4 #32
And John Fetterman. OMGWTF Feb 4 #37
Get the cops and start jailing the coup! Bluethroughu Feb 4 #33
In my opinion seta1950 Feb 4 #34
Eloon and his incel tech goons need to be arrested. OMGWTF Feb 4 #36
Murray is right - the GOP owns all of this Blasphemer Feb 4 #38
Only took 'em 9 years. Earth Bound Misfit Wednesday #41

Bluetus

(567 posts)
22. But what are the SENATORS personally going to do?
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 12:53 PM
Feb 4

Will they vote as a bloc against all nominees, as a message to the public of the danger we are in?

Will they ALL (not just one brave Senator) take part in the procedural blockade in the Senate to try to force negotiations, or at least stall the appointments to give the public time to raise its voices?

AdamGG

(1,591 posts)
25. There's only 47 Democratic Senators
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 01:39 PM
Feb 4

They have been voting as a bloc against many of the nominees. That doesn't accomplish anything unless they pick up 4 Republican senate votes.

Bluetus

(567 posts)
30. Wrong
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 02:04 PM
Feb 4

Solidarity is the starting point. When we have assholes go off the ranch it undermines the power of our voice. It makes it too easy for the Legacy Media to say the Democrats are divided, and then simply ignore what we have to say.

This is really basic stuff.

woven

(7 posts)
39. BS
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 11:42 PM
Feb 4

We've watched R's pull this for 20 years and here we are. Probably to little to late, but every foot dragging, time wasting maneuver gives us more time to save our ass.

AdamGG

(1,591 posts)
40. Sorry, you guys are obviously right
Wed Feb 5, 2025, 12:22 AM
Wednesday

I think I missed the point. We need to do anything procedurally possible to gum up the works.

OldBaldy1701E

(7,106 posts)
2. Hahaha!
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 06:52 AM
Feb 4
Schumer said that he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are working together on legislation to "stop unlawful meddling."


Yeah, that will show them!

OldBaldy1701E

(7,106 posts)
4. I would grab you a couch...
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 07:09 AM
Feb 4

But I had to burn it to keep warm. (Not yet, but such a thing is not far off if we don't act!)

ReRe

(11,144 posts)
5. Hey
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 07:27 AM
Feb 4

That gave me an idea for winter protests. Instead of a bon fire, have a couch fire?
In honor of JD Vance's couch. Just an idea.

Bluetus

(567 posts)
23. It is a 5-alarm smoldering fire in a small waste basket
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 12:55 PM
Feb 4

That is the message they are sending -- mixed message indeed.

magicarpet

(17,555 posts)
31. The Schumer solution that accomplishes nothing, zero, zip, and zilch.
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 02:06 PM
Feb 4

Schumer & Jefferies will draw up legislation to counter this trDUMP/Musk Coup D'etat 2.0.

Like even one ReThug will hop the fence and vote with the Dems. What good is legislation if we can not get it passed ?

BumRushDaShow

(146,900 posts)
11. I found this interesting, media deer-in-the-headlights article this morning by NBC
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 08:56 AM
Feb 4
Republicans take a back seat as Trump steamrolls Congress with flurry of unilateral moves

Feb. 3, 2025, 7:22 PM EST
By Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur and Ryan Nobles

(snip)

Lawmakers traditionally have heralded their oversight responsibilities and the power of the purse as points of pride in a city where there is a constant push and pull among the three branches of government. But in the second Trump administration, Republicans are so far largely deferring to Trump, who carries a huge level of influence among GOP primary voters.

Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and previously railed against executive overreach by Democratic presidents, have sat on the sidelines as Trump carries out controversial — and sometimes legally questionable — executive actions and orders. Instead, they’re rooting Trump on as he upends Washington and tests America’s system of checks and balances.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told NBC News that Democratic presidents have also tried to “push the limits” of their power. “They’re going to see how far they can go,” Tillis said of the Trump administration. “I don’t begrudge them for doing it.”

But Tillis, who did not point to examples of Democratic presidents’ seeking to gut agencies by executive action, said it “would be helpful” if Trump sought congressional approval to refuse to spend money that’s legally required by Congress, like on USAID. “I think it’s legitimate; it’s just not going to last long-term if it doesn’t make sense,” said Tillis, who faces re-election next year.

(snip)


NONE of what he has done is "legitimate" and this mess falls SQUARELY on the GOP, NOT Democrats.

When Watergate happened, you had Republicans like Howard Baker who were WILLING to question what Nixon and his criminal cabal had done, where his now-famous quote lives on in infamy!

But this current crew? They are a bunch of criminals themselves.

Owens

(410 posts)
15. Whataboutism
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 11:03 AM
Feb 4

Soviet propaganda technique of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue. Whataboutism changes the subject without acknowledging the problem. Tillis is a Russian puppet, which is in line with his response and the press is failing us again.

yardwork

(65,394 posts)
13. I called my two Republican senators today, both DC and NC offices.
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 10:20 AM
Feb 4

I also called both DC and local offices of my Democratic representative. Both those staffers said they understood my alarm and would pass on my call.

I'll call again tomorrow, and the next day.

Make six calls every day: to the DC and state offices of each of your senators, and the same offices of your representative. Be polite.

Don't email. Call them.

EarthFirst

(3,382 posts)
17. Couldn't we just deny a quorum at every stage in government?
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 11:13 AM
Feb 4

Why participate in the system that they aren’t going to adhere to anyway…

It may not shut them down; however we don’t have to make it easy for them either!

surrealAmerican

(11,547 posts)
19. Sounding the alarm is fine ...
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 11:46 AM
Feb 4

... if there is someone to respond to it and put out the fire.



Who do they expect to put the fire out?

coffeenap

(3,237 posts)
20. ...all enemies...domestic
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 12:13 PM
Feb 4

Where are the generals? Those boys need to be cuffed and escorted to a brig. Unprecedented? I really don't care, do you?

AdamGG

(1,591 posts)
27. Can a federal judge stop this??
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 01:47 PM
Feb 4

Republicans have House and Senate majorities and they most likely will do nothing. It seems that Musk and his minions are committing felonies every day. Can a federal judge issue an injunction to stop them? Since Trump's stooge DOJ won't do anything, can charges be brought in state courts about this? Can state attorneys general do anything?

If DOGE doesn't have the legal right to seize federal agencies, could the DC police arrest them (unlikely). In short, if felonies are being committed and DOGE doesn't have the legal right to seize the things they are seizing, is there any entity that can enforce anything against them?

Can a state attorney general or state judges take actions on behalf of their constituents whose privacy has been violated by having their records seized by individuals who are not authorized to have them and who have no accountability for how they handle the information?

This is literally the dismantling of a democracy by authoritarian means.

gab13by13

(26,285 posts)
29. Instead of wasting time working on legislation that is doomed to fail
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 01:51 PM
Feb 4

get your asses out into the country and do town halls, the people will come. Inform everyone what Project 2025 will do to them, then organize the people because it is up to us, the people, to throw out the billionaires.

Attilatheblond

(5,055 posts)
32. Schumer can blame GOP for all the confirmations, but there have been a lot of Vichey Dem Senators helping them
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 02:18 PM
Feb 4

Like Ruben Sinema, who gave me a little hope, but not for long.

OMGWTF

(4,550 posts)
36. Eloon and his incel tech goons need to be arrested.
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 07:06 PM
Feb 4

I am more concerned about their access to the Treasury Department computers that process SIX TRILLION dollars a year in payments. I can see that mofo just emptying everything into an offshore account.

DOGE does not have any authority or clearances to do any of the sh!t it is currently doing.

Blasphemer

(3,317 posts)
38. Murray is right - the GOP owns all of this
Tue Feb 4, 2025, 07:51 PM
Feb 4

And Americans voted for this. Democrats and many on the left curtailed the damage during his first term. What did they get for it? Not a shred of credit or grace. Let the GOP actually get the blame for the damage this time. Obama fixed their huge mess and no one remembers. Maybe they will remember this time.

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