Silicon Valley’s favorite billionaire is in the crosshairs again, and this time, Congress is actually putting it in writing. A new bill called the “Elon Musk Act” aims to ban special government employees from securing federal contracts, which, in plain English, means Tesla’s CEO could soon have a major problem.

What’s the Bill About?

Introduced by Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, the bill’s full name is the “Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy”, or, in true congressional fashion, the “Elon Musk Act” for short. Yes, they really did that.

The bill is designed to prevent special government employees (SGEs) from holding federal contracts or benefiting financially from government agencies. SGEs are individuals who advise or work with the government without being full-time employees, a category Musk arguably falls into given his influence over everything from military satellite services to EV subsidies.

In simpler terms: If you’re helping shape federal policy, you shouldn’t also be profiting from it.

The timing isn’t exactly shocking. Over the past few months, Musk’s influence has become more controversial:

• His control over SpaceX’s Starlink network, which provides crucial internet services to the U.S. military and allies, has raised concerns about one private individual having outsized influence over national security operations.
• His hostile takeover of HR systems at the Department of Defense made some question just how much federal power he should have access to.
• His cozy relationship with the current administration, which seems perfectly fine letting him dictate U.S. tech policy, has raised eyebrows in Washington.

Lawmakers, particularly those on the left, are now scrambling to put safeguards in place before Musk consolidates even more control over the country’s most critical infrastructure.

Musk’s Reaction? Predictable.

Musk, never one to let government oversight slide, took to X (formerly Twitter) to call the bill “corrupt” and “a violation of free enterprise”. His followers, naturally, are already decrying it as a witch hunt against America’s most innovative mind. Others, however, are wondering why it took this long to even consider limiting a single billionaire’s influence over federal operations.

While the bill has been introduced, it’s still far from becoming law. Given Musk’s political connections (and the GOP’s deep admiration for him), it’s unclear if this legislation will gain enough traction. But whether or not it passes, one thing is obvious: Musk’s unchecked influence is no longer going unnoticed.

And if this bill actually moves forward? Expect Musk to fight back, probably by buying another social media platform to complain about it.