Elon Musk's DOGE Gains Access to Treasury Data, Including Social Security and Medicare Payments

Trump-appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has given Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Treasury data that controls and distributes trillions of dollars, including Social Security and Medicare payments.

David A. Lebryk, who Trump tapped to serve as the acting Secretary of the Treasury, abruptly retired Friday after a standoff with Musk for access to the Social Security system.

On Saturday, Musk then claimed he "discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups" in an X post, neglecting to offer further evidence.

DOGE has gained access to continue cutting what it deems reckless spending. Musk stated in another X post that he is "cautiously optimistic" the department would reduce spending by $4 billion a day, starting over the weekend.

Democrats have pushed back at DOGE's unmitigated access to the Treasury's system, something that has historically only been granted to career civil servants. Musk and DOGE can now control payments to contractors, tax refunds, grants and government-provided benefits.

"I can think of no good reason why political operators who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems," Oregon's Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden wrote in an address to Bessent, according to the Wall Street Journal. "I am concerned that mismanagement of these payment systems could threaten the full faith and credit of the United States."