Silicon Valley Democrats Demand Probe of Ukraine Starshield Curbs, Threaten 120th Congress Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 23
Silicon Valley Democrats Demand Probe of Ukraine Starshield Curbs, Threaten 120th Congress Scrutiny
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 23
Summary
Three California House Democrats — Sam Liccardo, Ro Khanna and Jimmy Panetta — asked White House chief of staff Susie Wiles for an immediate government-wide investigation into Starshield restrictions in Ukraine.
The lawmakers said the temporary curbs on SpaceX's military-grade satellite service limited Ukraine's battlefield capabilities and left unresolved whether Elon Musk or President Donald Trump ordered the throttling.
Their letter seeks names of everyone who authorized or approved the restrictions, details on how they were implemented, and whether the move breached federal contracts or exposed similar vulnerabilities elsewhere.
If Democrats win the House in the Nov. 3 midterms, they said the 120th Congress would closely scrutinize federal funding to Musk's companies, with subpoena power expected to expand oversight of government contractors.
The push follows Wall Street Journal reports that Musk ordered the restrictions and that service was restored after a Trump-Musk call, while Trump has denied directing any disruption.