Despite drastic cuts to University of Nebraska programs by Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative, a Congressional lobbying firm continues to represent both NU and Musk’s Tesla, according to lobbying accountability group F Minus. Activity disclosures from the first three months of 2025 show that the firm Cassidy & Associates lobbied on behalf of the university in favor of climate and drought resiliency measures, university research funding, infrastructure, and agricultural facility funding.
According to DOGE, roughly $40 million has been cut from programs at the university’s Omaha and Lincoln campuses, including cuts to NU’s medical center and the board of regents. As the state’s largest employer, NU cuts have an outsize impact on the entire state, warns NU President Jeffrey Gold.
“Under Musk, DOGE recklessly cut funding for a range of programs at the University of Nebraska,” said Ally Marcella, Director of Research at F Minus. “And yet the university’s lobbying firm is sticking with Musk’s Tesla despite the profound harm DOGE has done to NU and many of its other clients.”
In addition to the University of Nebraska, Cassidy & Associates has also lobbied on conservation and climate issues for nonprofits and philanthropies whose climate programs are being undermined by DOGE funding cuts, including New Venture Fund, World Resources Institute, Campion Advocacy Fund, Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, and the Oregon Natural Desert Association.
F Minus has called on universities, local governments, nonprofits, and other DOGE victims to cut ties with firms that represent companies owned by Musk. In late January 2025, as DOGE began dismantling conservation programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, long-time Cassidy client the Oregon Natural Desert Association cut ties with the firm.
DOGE cuts to the National Weather Service have also put Nebraskans at risk. Eleven counties in Nebraska are now without 24/7 National Weather Service coverage, and according to Nebraska State Climatologist Deb Bathke, it’s a public safety concern. A broad spectrum of stakeholders rely on accurate and timely data and information from scientists at the University of Nebraska, NWS, and other federal agencies to make timely management decisions to reduce the impact of extreme weather and climate events. But while DOGE cuts NWS funding, Cassidy has been advocating for carbon dioxide removal, the ReSCUE Oceans Act, and public lands conservation on behalf of its other clients.