John,

I knew it growing up, and I sure as hell know it now: for too long in this country, the deck has been stacked against working people, and it’s been stacked in favor of the wealthy, the powerful, and the big corporations.

Make no mistake: that’s what DOGE is all about.

In the last two weeks alone, Elon Musk has gotten his hands on seniors’ Medicare payments. He tried to stop Meals on Wheels, shutter Head Start, and delete the Department of Education and, with it, public schools as we know them in this country.

And we all know why: because he wants more giveaways for his big corporations and more tax breaks for himself and his billionaire buddies.

Musk’s own company, Tesla, paid $0 dollars in federal income taxes last year–zero! They made $7.1 billion in profits and paid zero dollars in taxes. That’s a lower tax rate than seniors on Medicare and than single parents working two jobs and trying to survive until payday. It’s lower than our cops, our teachers, and our nurses. And now he’s trying to squeeze you for even more.

That’s bullshit. And it flies in the face of the values I learned growing up in Endicott: you work hard, you play by the rules, and you get a square deal–a roof over your head, a family vacation once a year, presents under the tree at Christmas time. Elon Musk is tearing that deal apart.

But here’s the good news: you’re in the fight, and I’m in it with you. We’re not going to sit back while an unelected billionaire son of an emerald dealer cuts funding for veterans, farmers, and seniors just so he can line his own pockets. If Elon Musk wants another tax cut, he can get in line behind people who actually work for a living in this country.

So here’s what we’re going to do:

We’re going to fight it out in the courts. Already we’ve seen a judge block Musk from screwing around with our seniors’ bank records. We’re going to keep the pressure on, and grind this to a halt.

And I’m going to keep up the fight in Congress. Musk and his minions have their hands all over our personal data, so today I’m signing on to a bill to get them the hell out of our country’s payment systems and ensure that anyone trusted with the most sensitive information about Americans has to have a security clearance and zero conflicts of interest. It would make what they’re doing right now a crime.

And Musk thinks he can get away with slashing, under the cover of darkness, the benefits hard-working people have earned. That’s why today I sponsored a bill that will force DOGE to show their receipts so we can account for every single penny of taxpayer money they’re trying to steal from you.

If there’s one thing we know how to do in Upstate New York, it’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, so let’s do it. I’m not going to sugarcoat things – we’re the underdog. But we’re underdogs who know how to fight. That’s how we won just a few months ago, how we’re going to win now, and how – next November – we’re going to win again.

Onward,

Josh