Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Feb 24: Several US government agencies have advised employees to ignore a directive from Elon Musk’s government efficiency office, which demanded federal workers justify their jobs or face dismissal.
The Pentagon and Department of Justice (DOJ) have told employees to pause responding to the email, citing legal concerns and agency autonomy. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initially directed workers to comply but later revised its stance, instructing them to await further guidance. Meanwhile, NASA officials are also working on a response strategy.
Musk’s email, sent to over 2 million federal employees, required them to submit five bullet points detailing their weekly work by Monday. He warned on X: “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
The move has sparked confusion and panic, with concerns over its legal and practical feasibility. DOJ lawyers reportedly advised staff not to comply, fearing ethics violations. The Department of Defense (DoD) reaffirmed that it conducts personnel reviews through its own procedures, not external directives.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents 800,000 workers, called Musk’s email ‘plainly unlawful’ and accused him of bullying federal employees. The union has urged the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to rescind the order and apologize.
As a special government adviser to Trump, Musk has no direct authority to fire federal workers. His directive follows Trump’s recent praise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created to streamline the federal workforce. However, the abrupt order has drawn bipartisan criticism, with lawmakers questioning its tone and execution.
“If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s: Please put a dose of compassion in this,” Republican Senator John Curtis said. “These are real people, real mortgages. We can cut costs without being cruel.”
With mounting opposition, the fate of Musk’s controversial directive remains uncertain.