Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about SpaceX’s Starlink potentially winning a multi-billion FAA contract—a move that “would stink of corruption” because of Elon Musk’s position in the Trump administration, according to one member.
How we got here: The Trump administration is considering canceling a $2.4B FAA contract awarded to Verizon in 2023, and instead paying SpaceX to improve air traffic control communications, the Washington Post reported. Over the weekend, Rolling Stone added more fuel to the fire, reporting that FAA staff were directed to find tens of millions of dollars to spend on Starlink.
Musk hasn’t done much to help combat the allegations of improper influence, and instead is publicly bashing the competition. He recently shared on X that Verizon’s system is “breaking down very rapidly” and at risk of a “catastrophic failure,” while he is providing Starlink terminals “at NO COST to the taxpayer” to help solve the issue.
Backlash: Nearly a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate have responded, releasing statements and penning letters urging officials to protect the federal contract competitions from interference.
“Elon Musk’s reported interference in a competitively awarded FAA contract is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about conflicts of interest,” Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) said Monday in a statement. “The administration must ensure federal contracts are awarded through a fair and transparent process, not at the whim of a billionaire with political ties to those in power.”
What’s next: Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is awaiting answers—due to him by April 9—to a handful of questions posed to the FAA, including whether SpaceX engineers are advising the FAA and whether Musk has played a role in negotiations for the agency to use Starlink. A request from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to the Transportation Department has a quicker turnaround, requesting answers on how the FAA decided to use Starlink terminals by March 7.
Democrats have introduced legislation to terminate any contracts with special government employees and are calling for Congressional oversight of the contract award process, though it’s unclear whether these efforts will move forward since Democrats are in the minority of both chambers.
“Government employees cannot profit from their own backroom deals,” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said. “If the FAA cancels a long-term contract with Verizon in favor of Starlink while ignoring long-established protocol, that would stink of corruption. Our committee must get to the bottom of what the hell is going on between the FAA and Starlink. The story just keeps getting worse.”
Déjà vu: It’s not the first time Democrats have raised concerns about Musk’s efforts to cut bureaucracy and boost efficiencies at some of the same agencies that have oversight of his companies. And, with SpaceX already a top contractor for NASA, it’s unlikely to be the last time.
