--- title: "New Law Would Force Elon Musk to Be Drug Tested for His Government Work" description: "Congressional Democrats want unelected government hatchet man and ketamine enthusiast Elon Musk to be regularly and randomly drug-tested." date: "2025-04-04" modified: "2025-04-04" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-drug-testing-bill" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "doge" - "drugs" - "elon musk" - "ketamine" --- # New Law Would Force Elon Musk to Be Drug Tested for His Government Work ![Congressional Democrats want unelected government hatchet man and ketamine enthusiast Elon Musk to be regularly and randomly drug-tested.]() *\Image: Joe Rogan Experience / Futurism\* Congressional Democrats want unelected government hatchet man and [ketamine enthusiast Elon Musk]() to be regularly and randomly drug-tested. In a [statement announcing the bill](), New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill said that the longshot legislation would require Musk and his staffers at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to pass a drug test to retain their status as special government employees. Along with Musk's attested and [problematic drug use]() — which has already led to him being [mandatorily drug tested]() by the government in the past — one of the [multi-hyphenate's top staffers](), Alexandra Beynon, used to be head of engineering at Mindbloom, a telehealth service her husband cofounded that prescribes people therapeutic ketamine. Generally speaking, special government employee status has typically been granted to guest experts and consultants [brought on to advise]() permanent executive branch officials. Under the [rules that govern them](), special government employees are not allowed access to the White House for more than 130 days per calendar year — and eventually, Musk and his cronies will run out of time on their temporary passes. The congresswoman added that her bill was inspired, in part, by "[Signalgate]()": the [scandal that erupted]() in the wake of a journalist being accidentally added by a national security advisor to an unsecured Signal group text that [discussed Yemen bombing plans](). "Those with access to sensitive information must be thoroughly vetted, clear-eyed, and exercise good judgment," Sherill declared. Notably, this bill was announced right before [*Politico*'s bombshell reporting]() that Trump has been telling his inner circle that Musk is on his way out of government. Musk and the [White House]() have both claimed *Politico*'s reporting, which was later [corroborated by *NBC*](), is [misleading](). Still, this is far from the first time the billionaire's substance use has become an issue — first with the [Securities and Exchange Commission](), then again [with NASA](), and now with DOGE. Ironically enough, it's unclear whether ketamine, the powerful sedative that appears to be [Musk's drug of choice](), is even [on federal substance screening panels](). Unless he's [snorting the *other* white powder]() on taxpayer time, it's possible that the bill — which is [unlikely to pass]() because the GOP controls both houses of Congress — wouldn't even have the intended results. **More on Musk and drugs:** [*Video Shows Elon Musk Acting Very Strange at Trump Dinner*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()