Quick Summary:
• Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted full access to the Treasury payment system, which processes Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, and federal payments.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved the access immediately after confirmation, following the resignation of a career official who opposed DOGE’s involvement.
• Lawmakers warn that DOGE could delay or cut benefits, circumvent court rulings blocking federal spending freezes, and manipulate government contracts to benefit Musk’s businesses.
• Musk falsely claimed Treasury officers never deny payments, but experts confirm payment approvals happen at the agency level, not within Treasury itself.
• Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have condemned the move, calling for congressional investigations.
• Public backlash is growing, with progressive groups warning that an unelected billionaire now holds unprecedented financial control over critical government programs.
• With polls showing most Americans disapprove of DOGE, Musk’s influence over federal funds is expected to be a major issue in upcoming elections.
Elon Musk’s growing influence over the federal government reached an alarming new level last week when his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was granted access to the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment system. This system is responsible for processing more than $6 trillion annually in Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, federal salaries, and government contracts.
The decision, approved by newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, has sparked outrage among lawmakers and watchdog organizations, who warn that Musk and his allies now have unprecedented control over essential federal payments.
“Sources tell my office that Treasury Secretary Bessent has granted DOGE full access to this system,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote on social media. “Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk’s own companies. All of it.”
Wyden added: “Americans don’t want an unelected and unaccountable billionaire dictating what working families can and cannot afford.”
The move follows a troubling pattern of career civil servants being sidelined or ousted in favor of political operatives. The latest victim of this purge was David Lebryk, a longtime Treasury official who had been serving as acting secretary before Bessent’s confirmation. He resigned after clashing with Musk allies over their demands for access to the system.
According to watchdog groups and legal experts, DOGE’s newfound control over the system could allow Musk to manipulate federal funds for personal, political, or ideological purposes—circumventing Congress and potentially endangering millions of Americans who rely on government benefits.
“This is a coup,” wrote Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, on social media.
The Treasury Payment System: The Lifeline of Federal Benefits
The Bureau of Fiscal Service manages a critical payment infrastructure that ensures the timely disbursement of federal funds. Payments processed through the system include:
• Social Security and Medicare benefits
• Tax refunds
• Paychecks for federal employees
• Government contracts and grants
The system itself is not designed to approve or deny payments—it is a processing mechanism that disburses funds already authorized by federal agencies and Congress.
As former Treasury official Don Hammond explained to The Wall Street Journal, “Legally, if you want to stop a payment from taking place, the place to do that is at the agency level.”
President Donald Trump created DOGE via executive order, granting the department sweeping authority to review and reduce federal spending. Critics argue that DOGE’s real purpose has been to strip bureaucratic independence and consolidate economic power within the White House and Musk’s circle.
DOGE’s growing influence has led to multiple concerns:
• Musk allies recently locked career civil servants out of a government personnel database.
• The Trump administration attempted to freeze all federal grants and loans—an effort blocked by the courts.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved DOGE’s access to the payment system immediately after his confirmation, overriding long-standing protections.
The connection between these actions paints a troubling picture of an administration eager to sideline safeguards and place financial authority in the hands of a single billionaire.
1. Manipulating Social Security and Medicare Payments
One of the most pressing concerns is that DOGE could use its new access to delay, alter, or cut Social Security and Medicare payments.
Wyden warned in a letter to Bessent:
“To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy. I am deeply concerned that following the federal grant and loan freeze earlier this week, these officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) was even more direct:
“Elon Musk, the richest man on Earth, is rooting around in Social Security and Medicare payment systems. He’s reaching his hands into our pockets and firing anyone who tries to stop him. This reeks of corruption—it must stop.”
2. Undermining the Courts’ Block on Federal Spending Freezes
Musk’s team may also be using Treasury access as a workaround after courts blocked Trump’s federal spending freeze. Owens outlined this concern in an MSNBC op-ed:
• Musk could use Treasury access to halt payments to programs targeted by the administration.
• Social services like Head Start, Meals on Wheels, and Medicaid could be impacted.
• DOGE’s actions suggest a broader strategy to consolidate executive control over federal funds.
3. Targeting Federal Contractors to Benefit Musk’s Businesses
Treasury’s system includes a list of blacklisted federal contractors. Critics fear Musk could exploit this access to:
• Harm competitors by selectively enforcing bans.
• Direct government contracts to companies aligned with his interests.
• Use federal resources to benefit his private business empire.
One of the DOGE allies granted access, Tom Krause, is a Big Tech CEO—raising further conflict-of-interest concerns.
4. Bipartisan Pushback and Calls for Oversight
Lawmakers from both parties are now questioning DOGE’s role in federal financial operations.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called the news “alarming” and insisted that Congress must investigate.
Even Mark Mazur, a former Treasury official under Presidents Obama and Biden, suggested bad intentions:
“This is a mechanical job—they pay Social Security benefits, they pay vendors, whatever. It’s never been used in a way to execute a partisan agenda.”
Progressive groups have mobilized against Musk’s growing influence in government. Social Security Works, an advocacy group, stated:
“Elon Musk, who NO ONE VOTED FOR, wants to mess with our earned benefits. Hell no.”
Polls show public disapproval:
• Only 33% of Americans support DOGE.
• 52% disapprove of Musk’s involvement in government operations.
Musk’s direct control over federal payment systems marks a dangerous escalation of billionaire influence in government. His moves to bypass Congress and override judicial rulings set a precedent for an unelected figure exerting power over public funds.
The Trump administration has made it clear that its priority is not reducing military spending—which reached $820 billion in 2023—but rather slashing domestic programs that millions of Americans rely on.
Owens summed up the stakes:
“The richest man in the world, whom no one elected to any government position, is seeking unprecedented access to confidential information, including information pertaining to his own business interests, and seems hell-bent on cutting off as much funding as possible for the programs that matter to the rest of us.”
What Happens Next?
• Congressional Oversight: Sen. Wyden and others are demanding investigations into DOGE’s Treasury access.
• Potential Legal Battles: Lawsuits may challenge DOGE’s overreach.
• Public Mobilization: With midterm elections approaching, this issue could become a defining debate over government accountability.
Call to Action:
📢 Contact your representatives and demand oversight of DOGE’s Treasury access. Share this article to raise awareness.
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