A House Democrat is introducing long-shot legislation that would force billionaire Trump lieutenant Elon Musk and his staffers at DOGE to undergo routine drug testing, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) cited a Wall Street Journal report from 2024 that alleged Musk has used illegal drugs including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine as the impetus for her bill.
- DOGE spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
- An attorney for Musk told the Journal that Musk is “regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test.”
Driving the news: Sherrill’s bill, a copy of which was first obtained by Axios, would require special government employees to undergo a drug test before they begin work and enter into a random drug testing program.
- Anyone who tests positive for certain illegal drugs would be barred from federal service for at least a year.
- Citing Signalgate, Sherrill said it is “more important than ever to protect the American people from the Trump Administration’s reckless incompetence and blatant disregard for national security.”
Between the lines: Musk and many DOGE staffers have been designated as special government employees.
- The Justice Department defines a special government employee as “anyone who works, or is expected to work, for the government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.”
- The title is usually used for subject-matter experts who are brought on to assist with specific projects.
What they’re saying: “Those with access to sensitive information must be thoroughly vetted, clear-eyed, and exercise good judgment,” said Sherrill, a former Naval aviator running for New Jersey governor.
- She argued the special government employees at DOGE should “be held to the same standard as other executive branch employees.”
- That includes “conflicts of interest or passing a drug test to maintain employment or a security clearance,” she said.
Reality check: Sherrill’s bill is highly unlikely to become law any time soon as Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/04/01/elon-musk-doge-drug-testing-bill-democrat
