- Elon Musk's DOGE staff has "read-only" access to the Treasury's payment system, the department said.
- Democratic lawmakers and federal worker unions have criticized the Treasury over Musk's reported access to personal data.
- The Treasury system manages trillions of dollars in payments, including Social Security and tax refunds.
The Treasury Department controls trillions of dollars of payments that Americans rely on every day — and it's caught DOGE's eye.
Nearly all federal payments that go out to Americans, including Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and veterans' benefits, go through the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which rests within the Treasury.
It's also a new area of focus in DOGE leader Elon Musk's agenda. Trump said he gave Musk access to the payment systems, and while the Treasury said the access was limited, it sparked criticism. Federal worker unions sued the Treasury on Monday over accusations the agency granted Musk illegal access to sensitive Treasury data and Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden called for an investigation into the scope of Musk's access.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Monday that Musk "abided by all applicable federal laws." The Treasury Department responded in a letter to Warren and Wyden on Tuesday, saying that a set of DOGE staffers have "read-only" access to the payment systems. That likely means they wouldn't have the ability to make changes at this time.
"Treasury has no higher obligation than managing the government's finances on behalf of the American people, and its payments system is critical to that process," the letter said.
What the Treasury system controls
The Bureau of Fiscal Service collected $5.47 trillion in revenue through fiscal year 2023, according to its website, and it disbursed 87.9% of all federal payments.
Those payments include Social Security benefits, payments through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and tax refunds, primarily disbursed electronically. Given the importance of those programs, Warren and Wyden wrote in their letter that "the public depends on the integrity" of the Treasury's payment systems.
They "control the flow of over $6 trillion in payments to American families, businesses, and other recipients each year — with millions relying on them for Social Security checks and Medicare benefits, federal salaries, government contract payments, grants, and tax refunds this filing season," Wyden and Warren said."
The scope of the payments the Treasury system manages means that it holds highly sensitive information about Americans, like Social Security numbers and other personal information.
Where Musk and the Treasury stand
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Musk "got access" to the systems only to help determine additional ways to reduce government waste.
"Elon can't do and won't do anything without our approval, and we will give him the approval where appropriate," Trump said.
Some unions and lawmakers have pushed for further action to revoke Musk's access. Three unions representing federal employees on Monday sued the Treasury Department over accusations it shared data with DOGE, saying in the lawsuit that "the scale of the intrusion into individuals' privacy is massive and unprecedented."
A group of Democratic lawmakers also rallied outside the Treasury Department on Tuesday to criticize DOGE's reported involvement in the payment system. Musk addressed the pushback from Democrats in a post on X on Tuesday, saying: "This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We're never going to get another chance like this."
Wyden said the Treasury's response to his and Warren's letter on Musk's involvement in the payment system was not sufficient, and he plans to continue pushing back.
"My message to Musk is simple," Wdyen wrote on X. "Get your hands off our money and get the hell out."
