|
Dear Friends,
I have heard from countless constituents over the last few weeks who are concerned about President Trump’s executive actions, especially after Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE’ were granted access to sensitive payment systems containing confidential taxpayer data. Millions of Americans depend on the U.S. Treasury’s payment systems for their Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and paychecks.
An unelected, unaccountable billionaire does not need access to this system that includes the names and addresses of Americans. Last week, I wrote Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with every Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, demanding answers on what information the 'DOGE' has accessed and who authorized this unprecedented breach of confidentiality.
Following media reports that the ‘DOGE’ has its sights set on the Social Security Administration (SSA), we wrote to Acting SSA Commissioner Michelle King to find out if anyone on Mr. Musk’s team has been granted access to the agency’s systems, and how their actions could impact customer service at SSA. This week, I spoke in the Ways and Means Committee on what this could mean for Americans’ Social Security benefits. You can view my remarks below.
While it was heartening to see a federal judge block DOGE’s access to taxpayer data for now, I remain concerned about the breach of privacy that occurred, and am taking the following steps:
- I joined my Democratic colleagues, including the entire Connecticut delegation, to introduce the Taxpayer Data Protection Act. This bill will stop people with conflicts of interest or without a security clearance from accessing the U.S. Treasury’s sensitive payment system.
- Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee filed a resolution to compel the information we requested from the Treasury about the ‘DOGE’ data breach.
- I introduced the Ending DOGE Conflicts Act to require transparency and demand accountability for Elon Musk’s unprecedented power grab. This bill would require Elon Musk, who is currently serving as a ‘Special Government Employee’ while also controlling companies with billions of dollars in government contracts, to stop working until he files a public financial disclosure and has his conflicts of interest reviewed by the independent Office of Government Ethics.
To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.
Regards,
John B. Larson
Member of Congress |