Senate Democrats on Wednesday demanded Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attend a meeting with the Democratic Caucus “as soon as possible” to answer questions about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to a sensitive federal payment system.
Led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the senators voiced concerns about the “seemingly hostile takeover” of the system known as the Fiscal Service by employees affiliated with Elon Musk’s DOGE.
“The seemingly illicit penetration of the system under the guise of an ‘operational efficiency assessment’ demands your immediate attention, and Congress requires answers about the purpose and scope of ‘DOGE’s’ activity,” the letter to Bessent reads.
Two DOGE-affiliated employees gained access to the system, which handles 90 percent of federal payments, following a clash with a top Treasury official who ultimately resigned last week.
In response to public outcry from Democrats, the Treasury explained in a letter Tuesday that it is conducting a review of the payment system, noting that staff have read-only access. Read-only access means they are unable to edit or make changes to the system.
Schumer, who was joined on Wednesday’s letter by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), called Treasury’s explanation “wholly insufficient, and even illusive, and evasive.”
“As you know, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s payment system is absolutely vital to our economic and national security,” they wrote. “Any infiltration or manipulation must be immediately addressed. Frankly, the information your Department has provided on the matter to date is woefully inadequate.”
“We speak for not just the caucus, but for the millions of impacted Americas, when we say this is an urgent matter and your participation is necessary for the American people to have confidence that our government will continue to function effectively and that their privacy remains protected,” the senators continued.
They asked the Treasury secretary to respond by Thursday.
After several unions sued Bessent and the Treasury earlier this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to limit access to the system. Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group, and Marko Elez are the only two “special government employees” who will maintain read-only access, according to an order signed by a federal judge Thursday.
