In a bold legislative move, Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill has introduced a bill that would require high-profile government advisers like Elon Musk to undergo regular drug testing—a direct challenge to the billionaire’s expanding influence in federal affairs. The proposed legislation comes amid growing concerns about Musk’s access to sensitive national security information through his informal role in Trump’s administration.
“Donald Trump has handed Elon Musk the keys to our government,” Sherrill stated, highlighting Musk’s access to everything from Treasury data to military secrets. “Those entrusted with this level of sensitive information must be held to the same standards as career civil servants—fully vetted, conflict-free, and sober.”
The bill would mandate pre-employment and random drug screenings for all “special government employees,” with a one-year federal service ban for positive tests. While unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled House, the legislation spotlights recent Wall Street Journal reporting that detailed Musk’s alleged use of LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine—substances some associates reportedly linked to his “volatile behavior.”
Musk’s attorney has countered that the SpaceX CEO undergoes regular drug testing and has never failed. The tech mogul himself has publicly defended his prescribed ketamine use, tweeting in 2023 that the dissociative anesthetic offered therapeutic benefits superior to traditional antidepressants.
The proposal underscores deepening Democratic unease about Musk’s dual role as both a private sector titan and quasi-government figure through his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative—an arrangement critics argue bypasses traditional accountability measures. As Sherrill’s bill notes, while federal employees face strict sobriety requirements, influential outsiders like Musk currently operate without such constraints.
