Democratic Lawmakers Denied Entry to the Department of Education

In a striking display of the limits being placed on congressional authority in the first weeks of the new administration, several Democratic lawmakers were denied entry to the U.S.Department of Education on Friday.“Get out of the way,” Representative Maxine Waters of California told a man blocking more than a dozen House Democrats from the doors at the department’s Washington offices.

The man, who was not identified by name, said he was a federal employee working for the department.“Did Elon Musk hire you?” asked Representative Becca Balint of Vermont.“This is an outrage,” Representative Mark Takano of California shouted as he and his colleagues were physically blocked from entering the building.“We have oversight responsibilities,” he said during the unsuccessful attempt to enter.The clash, captured on video by multiple members, was yet another episode that became a flashpoint in the intensifying battle over the administration’s efforts to reshape the federal bureaucracy.“They are blocking members of Congress from entering the Department of Education! Elon is allowed in and not the people? ILLEGAL,” Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida wrote in a post.It is unclear, however, if the federal employee violated any laws by refusing entry.

While members of Congress do have an oversight role over federal agencies, that power is typically exercised through hearings and enforcement of policies.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....