Congresswoman Simon’s Statement on President Trump’s Recent Unlawful Actions

February 5, 2025
Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Simon released the following statement regarding President Donald Trump and his Administration’s recent unlawful actions:  
 
“I am appalled and horrified by President Trump’s gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), firing of top officials across multiple agencies, illegal buying out of federal workers, and caving to Elon Musk. President Trump and Musk use “freedom” as a cover for taking away Americans’ freedoms.  
“Elon Musk is an unelected and unvetted partisan individual who has flouted all governmental norms and has no interest in advancing the lives of Americans. His illegal access to sensitive information from USAID and the Treasury Department is especially concerning. Our framers intended for the government to work for the people, not billionaires or friends of the President. 
“I was elected to serve the people of California’s 12th Congressional District, and I will do just that with every ounce of my being and through every avenue I have as a Member of Congress. 
“It is Congress who has the authority to control and allocate federal funding. It is Congress who has the authority to create and eliminate federal agencies. Let me be clear -- President Trump, Elon Musk, and the Executive Branch cannot stop the funding or operations of USAID, the Department of Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Education, or any other agency.  
“As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I have already joined my colleagues in opening an investigation into President Donald Trump’s actions to purge civil servants and demanded transparency of Musk’s actions to hijack classified information.  
“As Democrats, we will continue to advance litigation to oppose Trump and Musk’s unconstitutional actions. Litigation has already reversed the President’s unconstitutional funding freeze and stopped the President’s unconstitutional birthright citizenship Executive Order.  
“We will continue our opposition on all fronts. Silence is complicity and we will not go quietly. The fight has just begun and the road ahead will be long, but we have been here before. Together, we will continue to persevere forward, and we will not let them steal our future. “  
 
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