Treasury says Elon Musk’s DOGE has “learn solely” entry to cost techniques
Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity group has been given “learn solely” entry to the Treasury Division’s federal cost system, and federal expenditures haven’t been affected, the Treasury mentioned in a letter to Congress late Tuesday.
The letter, from Jonathan Blum, a Treasury official, mentioned {that a} evaluate of the Treasury’s Fiscal Service cost system has not prompted “funds for obligations corresponding to Social Safety and Medicare to be delayed or re-routed.”
“Treasury has no larger obligation than managing the federal government’s funds on behalf of the American folks, and its funds system is important to that course of,” the letter learn.
Tom Krause — a know-how government who’s a member of Musk’s DOGE group and is engaged on a evaluate of the cost system — has additionally been granted a high secret safety clearance, in accordance with the letter.
“Mr. Krause is a longtime know-how government. His many years of expertise in constructing firms and managing stability sheets as a chief monetary officer are of nice profit to this evaluate,” the letter reads. “With a view to permit him to carry out this operate, he has been employed as an skilled/advisor by the federal authorities and designated in a job generally used throughout Administrations—a “particular authorities worker” —pursuant to relevant legislation.”
Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that entry to the system might permit DOGE, which disburses almost 90% of all federal funds, to limit disbursement of federal funds.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, rating member of the Senate Banking Committee, mentioned that Blum’s letter raised extra questions than solutions.
“It asserts {that a} set of Treasury workers members have ‘read-only’ entry however fails to reply questions on non-Treasury staff, like these working for Elon Musk and DOGE,” Warren mentioned in a press release, launched shortly after after Treasury’s
The Treasury’s letter got here in response to a name from Senate Banking Committee Democrats, which incorporates Warren and Sen. Ron Wyden, for the Authorities Accountability Workplace “to analyze Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s resolution to grant entry to delicate authorities cost techniques to Elon Musk and different “Division of Authorities Effectivity” staff.”
DOGE will not be a authorities division, however a activity drive established by Mr. Trump to search out methods to chop federal spending.
