Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) introduced new legislation to force Elon Musk — who she says “has a well-documented history of drug use” — and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees to pass a drug test, and participate in random drug testing in order to retain their Special Government Employee status with the United States government.
“Donald Trump has given billionaire Elon Musk the keys to our government, and with it, access to highly sensitive information — from Treasury and Social Security data to even our most guarded military plans”, said Rep. Sherrill in a press release. “Those with access to sensitive information must be thoroughly vetted, clear-eyed, and exercise good judgment. Elon Musk and his DOGE employees should be held to the same standard as other executive branch employees, whether that’s for conflicts of interest or passing a drug test to maintain employment or a security clearance.”
She continues: “In the wake of Trump’s top national security officials sharing classified information on an unsecured Signal group chat — putting our service members’ lives at risk — it’s more important than ever to protect the American people from the Trump Administration’s reckless incompetence and blatant disregard for national security”.
Typically, government officials with access to highly sensitive information are required to pass a drug test and are subject to intermittent random testing as a condition of their employment. This “ensures that officials who have access to our government’s most sensitive information are following the law and cannot be blackmailed for their illegal drug use.” Sherrill’s bill would require Elon Musk and other Special Government Employees like him to consistently pass these same drug tests in order to maintain access to sensitive information.
