Dear Friends, 

A recent bombshell court filing from the Trump Department of Justice revealed that Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ employees illegally traded Social Security Administration records on an unapproved server and signed a “voter data agreement” with a MAGA-affiliated group working to overturn election results. For a year, the Trump Administration had denied that ‘DOGE’ misused Americans’ private Social Security data – and has refused to testify or provide answers to Congress about their access. I have been pushing back on their attacks on your privacy every step of the way. They were even given access to medical records and income histories. My recent op-ed in MS NOW details how we got here and what we need to do next to safeguard our privacy from these schemes. Congress should start by passing my Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to get ‘DOGE’ out of your data and impose penalties for any privacy breach.  

On Wednesday, I introduced a Resolution of Inquiry with the support of every Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee to compel the Trump Administration to produce any and all records relating to the ‘DOGE’ data theft scheme and their election interference efforts within 14 days. These bad actors must be held accountable for what they did. They are not above the law. We need to know what data was shared, with whom, and for what purposes. Americans deserve these answers, and we are going to get them. You can view our press conference below.

At the same time that ‘DOGE’ is going into your data to undermine our elections and help MAGA-aligned candidates, President Trump has called to “nationalize” our elections, and the FBI raided an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia. In Congress, Republicans are pushing this anti-election agenda with legislation that would disenfranchise 21 million Americans. I voted against their so-called “SAVE America Act” that would make it harder for married women, students, troops, and Native Americans to vote. They even snuck in a backdoor poll tax, by forcing the 140 million Americans without a passport to pay a fee before they can get a valid ID. If this was really about making our elections more safe and secure, Republicans would bring the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, that Democrats introduced in honor of our late friend in colleague, to the floor for a vote. Our bill would restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act, so every citizen can cast their ballot free from fear or intimidation. I served alongside John Lewis, and his number one priority was making sure everyone had equal access to the polls. We should honor his legacy by taking action and protecting the sacred right to vote. 

The “SAVE America Act” would also force states to hand their voter rolls over to the Department of Homeland Security, empowering Secretary Kristi Noem to purge citizens from the rolls. Just this week, the Washington Post reported that the IRS illegally shared names and addresses of residents to the Department of Homeland Security, so they could send ICE after taxpayers in our communities. After this appalling revelation, how any of my colleagues could vote to hand Kristi Noem even more confidential information about all of us astounds me. I introduced the Voter Purge Protection Act with my colleague, Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, to ensure your access to the ballot box cannot be interrupted by these tactics. 

 View my remarks on the SAVE America Act here 

I will continue fighting to safeguard our democracy, your privacy, and your earned benefits. 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