Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, told Newsmax on Monday that President Donald Trump's top adviser, Elon Musk, is conducting an audit of government agencies that "is very healthy" for the United States.
Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has come under fire over his attempts to gain access to sensitive data from the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service as part of his efforts to reduce government spending.
Owens said on "National Report" that Democrats' opposition to Elon Musk is not a winning strategy "because American people are tired of working hard and finding out there's no return on investment," going on to describe Musk's actions as an "audit" that the United States government has "not had for over 200 years. And this is very healthy."
He added, "What we're seeing right now is what we call accountability. It's interesting because anyone who's ever run a business, anyone who's actually lived their lives, understands what it is to have an IRS audit. You come with your best game, you come with all your information. You know you want to get it done."
The congressman said, "We're going to get out the waste, the fraud, those who have been in the mindset of … just showing up and not doing their job, we realize that even within the government concept, they can no longer do that.
"They have to show up, bring value, have a good return on investment, and we have a president and a business person … Elon Musk that's showing us what it looks like to have a return on investment."
Owens said, "Americans are waiting for it, excited about it. So it's a good thing. And we're going to continue this process moving forward I'm sure."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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