House Democrats on Thursday intensified their opposition to recent forays into Federal agency tech systems by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by introducing a new bill aimed at preventing DOGE and its leader Elon Musk from accessing confidential Treasury Department systems and data.
The Taxpayer Protection Act, sponsored by Reps. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and Haley Stevens, D-Mich., seeks to block unauthorized access to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems, which manage trillions of dollars in transactions annually.
The bill specifies that only individuals with proper qualifications, experience, and security clearances should be granted access to those systems. Democrats have argued that Musk’s team lacks those attributes.
Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly granted Musk’s DOGE team access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, prompting Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate to pledge they would “work together on legislation to stop unlawful meddling” in those systems.
“Elon Musk’s seizure of the Federal payment system jeopardizes the personal information and privacy of … working families across the country – and we must act now to stop it,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement. “Democrats will not rest until we end Elon Musk’s illegal seizure of the Treasury payment systems and secure the sensitive personal information of Americans.”
During a Senate Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday morning, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also addressed Musk’s “Treasury systems takeover,” warning that Musk’s actions could have a direct impact on major Federal programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
“It is clear that unqualified and unaccountable people have seized control of the flow of taxpayer funds and a trove of extremely sensitive data. They are seizing the tools you need for a coup,” Sen. Wyden said.
Despite the growing backlash from Democrats, Treasury Secretary Bessent reassured Republican lawmakers on Monday that Musk and his team do not control the Treasury’s payment system, as reported by POLITICO. However, many Democratic lawmakers remain unconvinced, questioning the Trump administration’s assertion that Musk’s access is limited.
The issue of DOGE access to Treasury systems is also tied up in the courts – at least for the short term.
Lawyers for the Justice Department agreed on Feb. 6 to temporarily restrict DOGE access to Treasury payment systems after a coalition of labor organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Treasury Department for allegedly sharing confidential data with the DOGE. The union members claim that Federal laws protect sensitive personal and financial information from improper disclosure.
The agreement will stay in place until Feb. 24 when both sides must return to court to argue for a long-term solution.
