Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, urged Senate colleagues not to cede legislative authority to President Donald Trump.
Murkowski, a moderate who has faced Trump's wrath several times in the past, told NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles that lawmakers need to stand up to the chief executive.
"The executive basically blows by Congress, or rolls right over Congress, and we allow that," Murkowski told Nobles in a video posted Tuesday morning on X. "We're ceding our responsibility.
"I believe that you can absolutely be a 100% supporter of President Trump and still stand up for the institution of the Senate, for the legislative branch, with our authorities that are prescribed to us specifically by the Constitution. But if we don't, if we just say, Well, we like his policies and so therefore we're going to cede some of our authorities, don't think this is the last time you're going to see that."
Murkowski objected to Elon Musk, head of Trump's advisory Department of Government Efficiency, requiring federal employees to respond to an email to prove their exist and to justify their jobs.
"The intimidation, if you will, deliver this … these five bullets by Monday at noon or you lose your job? Again, if you want accountability, let's ask for accountability but let's do that through the proper … through the proper chain," Murkowski told Nobles.
The reporter also posted: "Murkowski told me there is a 'right way and a wrong way' to deal with layoffs of federal employees ... and that they 'have been treated with a level of disregard to their service and to their tenure.'"
During a town hall last week with constituents, Murkowski said Alaska is one of the states most dependent on federal funding. She discussed government employees being let go by the Trump administration.
"These are our friends, these are our neighbors. These are people that are doing good work for us," Murkowski said. "Determinations appear to be, for the most part, indiscriminate, some on probationary [status] but we're seeing more that there are beginning to be, just across the board cuts. … This is not how we treat any of our workforce. It's not how we treat our federal employees. They deserve better."
Murkowski joined Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the only Republicans who voted against Pete Hegseth becoming Defense secretary.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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