Musk is Now Putting Military Lives in Danger

Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency has cut off or limited credit card access for thousands of government workers. These changes have led to disruptions that are now negatively affecting the development of key safety equipment used by members of the military. DOGE put in place a $1 limit on government purchase cards issued by the General Services Administration through that agency’s GSA SmartPay Credit Card system. DOGE also recently canceled 200,000 cards across 16 agencies.

But those cards are used by researchers developing safety materials used by the armed services. The charge cards are used to purchase raw materials used in testing ballistics on body armor and for helmet-impact experiments. The Washington Post also reported that the freeze has also affected the government’s ability to pay contractors who assist the Army in identifying soldiers killed years ago in combat.

“Even after canceling 200k, there are still twice as many government credit cards as there are government employees!” Musk wrote, praising the cuts.   But that is an outright lie.  Shauna Weatherly, head of Federal Subcontract Solutions, told the Federal News Network that there are around 700,000 active cards. Last month, there were more than 3 million people employed by the federal government, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

DOGE and Musk serially lie about the agencies they attack. And through its website, DOGE has claimed billions in taxpayer savings that independent fact-checkers have debunked.

The charge-card disruption is just one way the actions of DOGE and Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, have hurt the military.  Veterans are in the crosshairs of DOGE-initiated cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. By cutting VA staff, the already-squeezed agency is likely to reduce veteran access to health care.

“They’re going to put guys like me and my fellow Marines that rely on the VA in the ground,” Gregg Bafundo, a Marine veteran of the first Gulf War, told the Associated Press.  Republicans have long claimed to support the troops, but thanks to Trump, Musk, and DOGE, the party is leaving active military members unprotected and without the care they need when they become veterans.