House Democrats Introduce Bill to Limit DOGE Access to Treasury Records

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), joined by House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other House Democrats (L-R), speaks during a press conference in Washington on Feb. 6, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced on Feb. 6 new legislation to limit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk from accessing the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment data.

“Why do Elon Musk and his minions need access to the names, Social Security numbers, addresses, birth dates and bank account information of millions of Americans?” Jeffries asked at a press conference.

“What are they doing with it, and why aren’t House Republicans stopping them?”

DOGE, created by Trump and headed by Musk, was formed as part of the president’s campaign promise to cut wide swaths of federal spending and regulations to strengthen government efficiency.

Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) told reporters he feared President Donald Trump’s administration would eventually use the data to take retribution against his political enemies, like stopping Medicare payments to his home state of Illinois, or SNAP food stamp payments to low-income Americans.

The Taxpayer Data Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), specifically bars “special government employees” from using, accessing, or exercising administrative control over the Treasury Department’s payment data. This applies directly to Musk, who is classified as a special government employee.

It also authorizes the Inspector General of the Treasury Department to investigate and report on any violations of the new rules.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently gave DOGE access to the payment systems and clarified on Feb. 4 that this was restricted to “read-only” access.

A White House official said on Wednesday that Musk and his team are operating in “full compliance with federal law, appropriate security clearances, and as employees of the relevant agencies, not as outside advisors or entities.”

In response to a lawsuit by two unions and a nonprofit over the access granted to DOGE, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the D.C. U.S. District Court ruled on Feb. 6 that only two special government employees—Tom Krause and Marko Elez—could access the data, and only in read-only form.

All other access is limited to regular employees of the Treasury Department, or those whose security clearance and purview gives them the right to such access.

Jeffries told reporters that the bill is meant to be a companion to proposed Senate legislation—the “Stop the Steal” Act—announced with Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Feb. 4.

Neither bill is likely to make it through the legislative gauntlet. Republicans control both the House and Senate, and Trump is expected to veto any legislation hindering the work of DOGE.

These developments come on the heels of an attempt by Democratic members of Congress to gain entry to the Treasury building on Feb. 4, saying they wanted to provide oversight, amid DOGE’s efforts to slash federal spending, along with executive actions by Trump that froze foreign aid, grants, and government loans.

The Congress members were blocked at the gate from entering the Treasury Building by the Secret Service.

Musk and Reps. Jeffries, Casten, and Stevens did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Reuters, Zachary Stieber, and Arjun Singh contributed to this report.