Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) came to the defense of federal workers on Sunday after Elon Musk launched a new policy requiring them to write a weekly email report on what they accomplished during the previous seven days or face resignation.
In a post on X, Murkowski blasted the new Musk-led effort to crack down on federal waste as “absurd” and reversed the questionnaire onto the Department of Government Efficiency leader, saying Musk should “get to know each department and agency” before he cuts federal jobs.
“If Elon Musk truly wants to understand what federal workers accomplished over the past week, he should get to know each department and agency, and learn about the jobs he’s trying to cut,” the Alaska senator said.
She then listed off the workers at the agencies that have seen cuts and defended their role in the federal government.
“Our public servants work hard to ensure that our national security is protected; that planes land safely; that forest fires do not spread to our homes; that Social Security checks arrive on time; that research for the breakthroughs needed to cure diseases like cancer and ALS continues; and much more,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski concluded, “Our public workforce deserves to be treated with dignity and respect for the unheralded jobs they perform. The absurd weekend email to justify their existence wasn’t it.”
The criticism from Murkowski comes after Musk’s directive sent law enforcement agency heads scrambling to figure out how to fulfill the obligation given the sensitive nature of their work. Those leaders included FBI Director Kash Patel, who instructed employees to “pause” any responses to the questionnaire that requires federal workers to list “5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and CC your manager.”
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The Department of Defense also told personnel on Sunday not to respond to the email.
Murkowski, a longtime senator, has been critical of some aspects of the Trump administration thus far, specifically some of President Donald Trump’s picks for key Cabinet positions. She initially came out against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., before voting to confirm him. She also did not vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
