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Juan Ciscomani, the Republican U.S. House member from Tucson, came here from Mexico when he was 11, making the difficult transition to a new language and culture at a tough age, and thriving.

Ruben Gallego, the Democratic U.S. senator from Phoenix, served in the Iraq war as a member of a Marine Corps unit that faced fierce combat and lost many members.

Mark Kelly, the Democratic U.S. senator from Tucson, was a U.S. Navy combat pilot in the first Persian Gulf war and an astronaut who piloted space shuttles.

They’ve all been impressive in their own ways and have shown guts. But right now, they’re not rising to the occasion.

As the country’s richest man seizes their congressional power, our personal data, and our congressionally approved funding, they have been, to different degrees ineffective, quiet or complicit. They’re letting Elon Musk seize power with little resistance.

Among the things Musk and his team, appointed by President Trump to sweeping roles in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, have done:

— , in what one U.S. senator called This is the system that makes Social Security payments and tax refunds and contains sensitive information about all of us, such as bank account records and Social Security numbers.

— Declared they would stop payment to entities they disapproved of, including Lutheran Social Services, a social service and refugee resettlement agency.

— Stopped payments of previously awarded grants from the National Science Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and other federal funders of research, all key to the University of Arizona and other universities. These payments were restored after a court order Sunday.

— , an agency created by Congress in 1961 that funds programs around the world and serves as an arm of American soft power in global affairs. Musk called the agency a “criminal organization.�

— Sent letters to thousands of federal employees telling them they could resign and receive their pay through September. It’s unclear whether there’s any validity to the offer.

— Told the General Services Administration to begin terminating leases on about 7,500 federal offices nationwide.

These moves are breathtaking in their sweep and audacity. While Trump has said he’s approving Musk’s efforts, it’s unclear to me or other outsiders who is really driving this train. And even so, the Constitution and federal law don’t give the president or his administration the power to unilaterally stop spending approved by Congress.

Appropriations undermined

It’s the kind of thing that you would think Ciscomani would care about. He’s a member of the once-powerful House Appropriations Committee. This is the committee through which much of Congress’s spending decisions traditionally pass, but its power is completely undermined by Musk’s moves.

If Musk and Trump can unilaterally decide which agencies deserve to exist and which congressionally approved payments ought to go out, what’s the point of an appropriations committee? What’s the point of a Congress?

I would like to hear from him something as milquetoast as, “I’m concerned that recent moves could violate the separation of powers and undermine congressional power over federal spending.� That wouldn’t be much, but it would be something.

Instead, his most recent press release was patting Trump on the back for using tariff threats against Canada and Mexico, something that threatens Southern Arizona’s economy. “While tariffs may not be anyone’s first choice, we have a duty to prioritize public safety and President Trump is using every tool at his disposal,� Ciscomani said in the obsequious statement.

Ciscomani did not respond to my request for comment, and neither did Kelly or Gallego, though I was able to make contact with members of all their staffs. None of this left me reassured that our representatives are confronting the situation with enough force and creativity, though the Democrats put out clearer statements later on Tuesday. 

I’ve left Rep. Raúl Grijalva, the congressman from Congressional District 7, out of this listing because he has been out of office due to his cancer treatment. Certainly he’s shown bravery in his life, and he could usefully marshal that experience in the current moment if he were able. It’s the reason I argued a week ago that he should step down if he can’t return to serving.

No excuse for Dems

The Democrats don’t have as much power as Republican members do, because they’re in the minority. But this also liberates them to be rhetorically free, raising alarms and performing resistance however they can. Few have taken the opportunity.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for example, Scott Bessent Monday for giving Musk and his team access to the federal payments system. Unlike Warren, our senators Kelly and Gallego voted to confirm Bessent just one week before.

Yes, Kelly and Gallego represent a state that voted for Trump, so they have to take that into consideration. But it’s also a state that voted for Gallego — in the same election. And Kelly isn’t up for election till 2028, while Gallego isn’t on the ballot till 2030.

This is a good time for them to act with courage. It’s also a good issue. shows that Americans oppose Musk’s role in government by a 53-41 margin. If more people knew what he’s doing, that gap could grow.

A billionaire seizing unilateral control of our money is something the vast majority of us would naturally oppose. 

Gum up the works

Exactly what Democrats can do is unclear. They should at minimum vote against all of Trump’s nominees and try to gum up the works procedurally in the Senate, taking all time allowed, filibustering, and being a nuisance until the seizure of their power and our data and funding ends. They should also challenge all of the federal contracts held by Musk’s companies — a real vulnerability of his.

On Tuesday, there was a bit of progress. Kelly and Gallego signed onto .

“The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy,� the letter says. “The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.�

Later Tuesday, Kelly said in a statement, “Having an unaccountable billionaire illegally shutting down agencies and accessing private information on Arizonans is unacceptable.� He noted he will be speaking against Trump's nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, in a speech Wednesday. 

Also later Tuesday, Gallego put out a statement saying, “Arizonans voted for lower costs and stability, not for Elon Musk to ransack the government and cut off Americans’ benefits so billionaires can get a tax cut. My Republican colleagues in the majority need to ask themselves if they’re comfortable sidelining Congress to appease Elon’s antics.�

It’s a start, but it’s the least we can expect from people have shown resilience and bravery before. We need them to summon it again now.