Three House Democrats representing Silicon Valley are calling on the White House to launch an investigation into reports that SpaceX restricted its military-grade Starshield satellite services for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
In a letter addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Representatives Sam Liccardo, Jimmy Panetta, and Ro Khanna requested a formal briefing within two weeks. The lawmakers are asking for details regarding who authorized the alleged speed restrictions on Starshield, how the limitations were implemented, and whether the actions breached any federal contractual obligations. They also pressed the administration to determine if similar vulnerabilities affect operations in other regions.
“Politically motivated service interruptions or erratic throttling will undermine reputations developed through decades of work that Americans have led to support our allies and customers throughout the world,” the lawmakers wrote in their correspondence.
Starshield is the government-focused variant of SpaceX’s satellite constellation, engineered for earth observation, secure communications, and hosting military payloads, according to company specifications. Neither the White House nor SpaceX immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the congressional inquiry.
The push for an investigation follows reports indicating that SpaceX founder Elon Musk ordered the network slowdown, and that he held discussions with President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials before the restrictions were enacted.
The involvement of a private contractor in critical battlefield communications has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers regarding the boundaries of corporate influence in national security. “American taxpayers should never be left guessing whether the responsibility for critical national security decisions lies with their elected government or a private citizen with substantial financial interests in federal contracts,” the letter states.
The controversy has generated bipartisan unease within Congress. Senator Kevin Cramer expressed concern on Thursday over the extent of Musk’s influence on matters of national security following the reported service limitations.
