WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, joined a delegation of congressional Democrats for press conferences outside the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She also delivered a speech on the House Floor amidst President Trump and Elon Musk’s unprecedented, unconstitutional efforts to interfere with congressional power and undermine our democracy. Now, news reports detail Trump plans to make similar cuts across other agencies - the Department of Labor, Education, EPA and more.
WATCH Rep. Ansari’s full remarks at the U.S. Department of Treasury press conference.
Below is a transcript of Rep. Ansari’s remarks as delivered at the press conference:
I represent Phoenix, Arizona—Arizona’s Third Congressional District—a community of immigrants. A community of veterans. A community of LGBTQ+ individuals. A community of hardworking American people who did not sign up for Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of the United States government.
We did not sign up for this hostile takeover of our United States government.
Last I checked, Donald Trump was elected as president.
But illegal action after illegal action—and allowing an unelected billionaire, Elon Musk—to do whatever it is that he pleases.
He literally thinks he's a king.
And King Trump and Elon Musk are going after all of your freedoms—your rights, your money, your health insurance, your privacy, your data. And we cannot stand for it.
Thank you for being here tonight. It is so important that people across the country show that this is not acceptable. This is not what democracy is all about.
We will not stand for it. We will use every lever of power at our disposal. But we need you. We need you to call your Republican representatives and ask them why they are complicit in this hostile takeover and the dismantling of every agency.
They went after USAID. They’ve gone after the Treasury. Now, they’re going after the Department of Education. They’re going after the Environmental Protection Agency. It is outrageous.
So thank you for fighting with us. We will win this.
WATCH Rep. Ansari’s full remarks at the U.S. Agency for International Development press conference.
Below is a transcript of Rep. Ansari’s remarks as delivered at the press conference:
As the Class President of the Freshman House Democrats, I am here to stand with the heroes at USAID, who work day in and day out on behalf of the American people.
Thank you so, so much for everything that you do.
As the proud daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled their country during the revolution, I grew up learning about how we can never take democracy for granted.
And never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that, in the United States of America, in the year 2025, we would be witnessing an unelected billionaire, Elon Musk, and oligarchs, along with so many other unelected individuals, taking complete control of our federal government and taking illegal, unconstitutional actions.
And truly, every single day, witnessing the demise of our democracy.
It is unacceptable. That’s why you have House Democrats here, members of the Senate, standing with the American people on behalf of democracy, and we will not back down.
We cannot back down.
USAID does vital work across the entire world, from supporting climate resilience projects and being there in the wake of national disasters, to working to stop terrorism, to stopping outbreaks before they become a pandemic.
This work is vital. This work is lifesaving. And we will not stand for anything less than USAID fully functioning and supporting our government.
Thank you so much. We stand with you, and we need you.
WATCH Rep. Ansari’s House Floor Speech
Below is a transcript of Rep. Ansari’s remarks as delivered on the House Floor:
Right now, our democracy is under clear threat. Donald Trump is abusing power, breaking the law, and ignoring our Constitution.
Trump has handed over the government to Elon Musk, a billionaire who does not care about the American people.
Trump has given Musk and his cronies extensive access to confidential, personal information across all federal agencies, including the Treasury.
The Treasury makes 1.5 billion payments a year to taxpayers, businesses, and seniors—everything from Social Security benefits to tax refunds to Medicare and Medicaid payments.
Musk and his sham “government” department now have access to Americans’ confidential tax refund information, which includes their names, social security numbers, and home addresses.
That’s why I’m headed to the Treasury this evening—to stand up for Arizonans’ privacy and to stand up for our democracy.
As a member of the House Oversight Committee, we’re holding Trump and Elon Musk accountable, calling out this breach of law, privacy, and national security on behalf of the American people.
Thank you, and I yield back.
###
