WASHINGTON — Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said Tuesday that his constituents are "fired up" and asking what lawmakers are doing about sweeping changes under President Donald Trump’s administration.

More than 1,000 people came out to McGarvey’s town hall meetings over the weekend in Louisville, the congressman said.

“People are worried about Donald Trump really tearing apart our constitution and our democracy, the secrecy in the actions of Elon Musk … everything from getting access to our taxpayer data, to not telling who’s working for him,” said McGarvey. “I think people are really angry and I think they’re saying, ‘where are the Democrats right now in terms of standing up and making sure you’re stopping this, and also, where are the Republicans in stopping this?’”

Trump tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead a government cost-cutting effort, which has spurred massive cuts to the federal workforce. 

McGarvey is co-sponsoring legislation that he said would rein in Musk, including a bill that would ban retaliation against any federal employee who tries to stop “unlawful or unconstitutional actions by Elon Musk against Federal agencies.”

With Republicans controlling the House and Senate, the measure has little chance of moving forward.

Tuesday, Feb. 25, Republicans on Capitol Hill defended Musk’s efforts.

“To have a man like Elon Musk who is able, who has got the brainpower, along with President Trump, to find out where our tax dollars are going, that’s what he’s finding out,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “He’s tracking them. Never before have we known that.”

McGarvey’s office said it fielded more than 150 calls in the last week from people worried about potential Medicaid cuts, as House Republicans worked to move a budget plan backed by President Trump.

“The Medicaid budget right now to Kentucky from the federal government is larger than the state budget,” said McGarvey. “There are over 25% of Kentuckians get their health insurance from Medicaid, so people are really worried about kids, seniors, themselves, having their health insurance ripped away.”

Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, leads the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Rep. James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, leads the House Oversight Committee.

The two Kentucky Republicans and other committee chairs released a statement Tuesday, Feb. 25 that said the House’s budget bill delivers on Trump’s agenda “in a fiscally responsible way that reduces our debt-to-GDP and puts our nation on a path to balance.”