As Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives worked to justify the drastic government cuts spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, gay California Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia turned the spotlight back on them. During a Wednesday hearing, Garcia held up a large photo of Musk in a tuxedo, jokingly calling it his version of a “dick pic.”
Garcia’s remark was a callback to a 2023 hearing where Republican Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene displayed explicit images of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, drawing outrage.
“I find it ironic, of course, that our chairwoman, Congresswoman Greene, is in charge of running this committee,” he said Wednesday. “Now, in the last Congress, Chairwoman Greene literally showed a dick pic in our oversight congressional hearing, so I thought I’d bring one as well.”
An aide then lifted a large image of Musk, drawing grins and laughter from lawmakers and audience members.
— (@)
Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, who sits next to Garcia, appeared to suppress his laughter as Garcia revealed the image. But beyond the humor, Garcia’s critique was serious—directly aiming at Republican efforts to cut funding for the Department of Education, Medicare, Medicaid, and the National Institutes of Health.
“I think we’re all here to fight against the lives of corruption and the attacks on our social safety net,” Garcia said. “We should in no way be cooperating with House Republicans who want to shut down the Department of Education and destroy Medicare and Medicaid, and we should not stand by as the richest man on the planet gives himself and his companies huge tax cuts while the American people get absolutely nothing.”
DOGE, created by President Donald Trump via executive order on January 20, is led by Musk and claims to have already saved over $1 billion, largely by canceling diversity, equity, and inclusion contracts. However, the initiative has drawn multiple lawsuits and criticism for its lack of transparency.
Garcia warned about the broader implications of Musk’s influence in government, calling it a “power grab” backed by Trump and the GOP. “This entire plan is about hurting the American social safety net and destroying our institutions,” he said. “This is not about working with the richest man on the planet—this is about empowering him to take all of this money that they so call want to save, and then give it to themselves, their companies, and their billionaire friends.”
The hearing followed Greene’s recent meeting with Musk and Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House, a conversation whose details remain undisclosed, Politico reports. As chair of the DOGE subcommittee, Greene has been a vocal supporter of Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting measures despite growing backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans who worry about the scope of these reductions.
Musk, who serves as an unpaid “special government employee,” has defended DOGE’s rapid implementation, acknowledging that “some of the things that I say will be incorrect” but insisting that mistakes will be corrected quickly. Critics, however, argue that DOGE’s access to federal financial systems, such as the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, raises serious security risks.
Garcia also called out Musk for appointing unqualified individuals to key positions. “Elon Musk is sending his unqualified DOGE staff to carry out this agenda across all of these agencies. And in some cases actually teenage staffers. No accountability, no experience, and problematic records,” he said. “They’re trying to rob you, and they’re probably a minor.”
Garcia’s use of the phrase “a minor” carried an added cultural resonance. Just days earlier, during the Super Bowl halftime show, rapper Kendrick Lamar made headlines by referencing the phrase in his ongoing feud with Drake. In a veiled attack, Lamar alluded to accusations against the Canadian rapper, incorporating “A minor” in a way that left audiences speculating about its deeper meaning.
Meanwhile, concerns about DOGE’s oversight of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continue to mount. Musk has referred to the agency’s apparent shutdown with a “RIP CFPB” post on his social media platform. The agency’s website is now inaccessible, and watchdog groups have filed lawsuits to halt DOGE’s actions.