WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) slammed House Republicans during an Energy and Commerce full committee markup on the committee’s authorization and oversight plan for the 119th Congress. The oversight plan sets the structure for the committees’ oversight responsibilities for the 119^th Congress. Despite the ongoing dismantling of the federal government by billionaire Elon Musk, committee Republicans rejected every proposal to increase transparency in the work of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“Colleagues, out of all of the outrageous, damaging and illegal firings and shutdowns, whether talking about the Inspectors General, or the top military JAG officers, or the folks in charge of the Office of Government Ethics. I mean, the list goes on and on. I think we can all agree that one of the most troubling was the firings at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Their professional workforce was targeted by Elon Musk and Donald Trump's reckless gutting of the federal workforce and the illegal layoffs.”

“I think this is so arbitrary and outlandish to go in and fire people who are responsible for our nuclear enterprise, working at our labs, making sure our nuclear weapons are safe and secure. Yes, I think it is outrageous.”

Click here for Castor’s amendment.

Two weeks ago, Elon Musk and DOGE abruptly fired more than 300 staffers at the NNSA. This included employees who write requirements and guidelines for contractors who build nuclear weapons. It included NNSA staff working on the ground at facilities where nuclear weapons are built, overseeing contractors, and inspecting these weapons.