Treasury says Elon Musk’s DOGE has “learn solely” get right of entry to to cost programs

Elon Musk’s Division of Executive Potency staff has been given “learn solely” get right of entry to to the Treasury Division’s federal cost gadget, and federal expenditures have no longer been affected, the Treasury mentioned in a letter to Congress overdue Tuesday. 

The letter, from Jonathan Blum, a Treasury legitimate, mentioned {that a} assessment of the Treasury’s Fiscal Provider cost gadget has no longer led to “bills for duties corresponding to Social Safety and Medicare to be behind schedule or re-routed.”

“Treasury has no upper legal responsibility than managing the federal government’s price range on behalf of the American other folks, and its bills gadget is significant to that procedure,” the letter learn. 

Tom Krause — a era government who’s a member of Musk’s DOGE staff and is operating on a assessment of the cost gadget — has additionally been granted a best secret safety clearance, in keeping with the letter. 

“Mr. Krause is an established era government. His many years of revel in in construction firms and managing steadiness sheets as a first-rate monetary officer are of significant get advantages to this assessment,” the letter reads. “With a purpose to permit him to accomplish this serve as, he has been employed as knowledgeable/marketing consultant by way of the government and designated in a job regularly used throughout Administrations—a “particular govt worker” —pursuant to appropriate regulation.”

Democratic lawmakers have expressed worry that get right of entry to to the gadget may permit DOGE, which disburses just about 90% of all federal bills, to limit disbursement of federal budget. 

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 team of workers participants have ‘read-only’ get right of entry to however fails to reply to questions on non-Treasury workers, like the ones operating for Elon Musk and DOGE,” Warren mentioned in a observation.

The Treasury’s letter got here in reaction to a choice from Senate Banking Committee Democrats, which incorporates Warren and Sen. Ron Wyden, for the Executive Responsibility Administrative center “to research Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s determination to grant get right of entry to to delicate govt cost programs to Elon Musk and different “Division of Executive Potency” workers.” 

DOGE isn’t a central authority division, however a job power established by way of Mr. Trump to seek out tactics to chop federal spending.