A group of House Democrats was blocked from entering the Department of Education on Friday while attempting to discuss the agency's future under Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
"Roughly 30 or 40 members of Congress went to the Department of Education," said Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA). They intended to meet with Acting Secretary Denise Carter to follow up on a letter demanding an urgent meeting regarding plans to dismantle or drastically reduce the agency.
Absolutely pathetic theater from House Democrats at the Department of Education, down to claiming the security officer is a modern day police officer in the Deep South blocking school integration. pic.twitter.com/xa5tTcNyJ7
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 7, 2025
According to Takano, they were stopped at the entrance and informed by security that they had no scheduled meeting and therefore could not be let in. "There is no business purpose to be here," a security officer said. No officials from the department came forward to confirm or explain the refusal.
This incident marks the fourth time in a week that Democratic lawmakers have been denied entry to federal agencies under DOGE oversight. On Monday, members of Congress were blocked from accessing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which DOGE has moved to shut down. Tuesday, lawmakers were turned away from the Treasury Department, where DOGE staffers have reportedly gained access to a payment system used to fund federal agencies. And on Thursday, a group of Democrats was denied entry to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The repeated incidents reflect a broader effort to obstruct congressional oversight as the administration moves forward with controversial agency cuts.
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