A group of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Silicon Valley requested on Friday that the White House investigate recent disruptions to the internet services provided by Starlink under Elon Musk in Ukraine, making this request in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
This letter was spearheaded by California Democratic Representatives Sam Licardo ( Sam Liccardo ), Rob Kenna ( Ro Khanna ), and Jimmy Panetta ( Jimmy Panetta ), and is exclusively obtained by CNBC. Before the letter was sent, the military-grade version of SpaceX —__ Starlink —__ was once restricted in Ukraine, weakening the military capabilities of this war-torn country.
Ukrainian officials told CNN on Friday that despite President Trump's claim on Thursday that Musk had resumed access, the relevant restrictions were still in place. The officials stated that these restrictions were interfering with high-speed military drones and hindering Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attacks as well as to carry out operations on the front line.
In a letter to Wells, these members of parliament called for an "immediate government-wide investigation" of the White House to ascertain the decisions that restricted the use of satellite-based intelligence and military support services in Ukraine.
The letter also indicates that if the Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in the midterms on November 3, they will prioritize investigating the Starlink incident.
Members wrote: 'We will ensure that the 120th Congress closely reviews the federal funds granted to Mr. Musk's companies, including whether these companies have fulfilled their contractual obligations, and whether there are sufficient safeguards to prevent political interference, arbitrary restrictions on services, and the misuse of federal resources.'
SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
If the Democrats win control of Congress, it is expected that they will conduct extensive investigations into private enterprises that have contracted with the government, and this will also grant them the authority to issue subpoenas at the committee level.
The core of these MPs' questions is who actually ordered the restriction on Ukraine's Starshield services, and whether this directive came from President Donald Trump or from private citizen Elon Musk.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that it was Elon Musk who ordered the implementation of these restrictions; subsequently, the media reported that the restrictions were lifted after a call between Trump and Musk. Since Russia's invasion more than four years ago, the Ukrainian military has been relying on Starshield to carry out military operations. Although Musk publicly stated that such orders should have come from the White House, Trump has repeatedly denied ordering the interruption of Starlink.
In the letter, the members wrote: 'Despite the resulting casualties and serious impacts on national security, neither the government nor SpaceX has provided a clear and consistent explanation regarding responsibility. Either private contractors made life-and-death decisions that affected national security on their own, or President Trump instructed to restrict critical military communications in support of American allies.'
Members of parliament demanded that Wiles explain who made the decision to restrict Starshield services and identify any individuals who 'authorized, directed, approved, or were consulted regarding these restrictions.' They also inquired about how these restrictions were implemented, whether they violated federal contracts, and whether similar vulnerabilities existed in other areas as well.
Members wrote: "As the elected representatives of Silicon Valley in Congress, we represent hundreds of innovative economy employers and employees whose livelihoods depend on the reputation of American technology overseas. Service interruptions driven by political motives or arbitrary speed restrictions will damage the reputation that Americans have built over decades in supporting global allies and customers."
