GOP lawmakers brush back inquiries on DOGE access to Treasury, SSA systems

House Ways and Means Republicans struck down a pair of resolutions from their Democratic counterparts Wednesday that sought documents and information related to DOGE access to Treasury Department and Social Security Administration IT systems.

During a frequently contentious more than three-and-a-half hour markup, Democrats made the case that it was the committee’s duty to find out what sensitive information has been handled by DOGE representatives through their forays into Treasury and SSA networks.

The first resolution (H.Res.127) called on the Treasury secretary to provide House lawmakers with documentation showing access to the department’s payment systems and confidential tax return information by DOGE associates or Elon Musk. Previously, a federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE access to Treasury systems, calling its approach “chaotic and haphazard.”

The second resolution (H.Res.195) sought similar records for DOGE and Musk’s work within SSA, including their usage of IT networks, customer service metrics following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and details on the closures of regional offices and reductions in force.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said her constituents want “answers to very basic questions” regarding the exposure of their personal and financial information to “Musk’s unvetted and unqualified acolytes.” DelBene said she didn’t understand why House Ways and Means Republicans viewed Democrats’ request for information as “controversial.”

“We are a co-equal branch of government. We are in charge of oversight,” she said. “If you feel like there’s no concerns here, then why wouldn’t you want that information to be out in the public, for people to be able to ask questions and get a response?” 

Republicans bristled at Democrats’ claims that Musk and DOGE have been conducting their business in the shadows, pointing to the richest man in the world’s astoundingly active X account and his many media appearances.

Democrats were happy to discuss those appearances, calling attention repeatedly to Musk’s comment that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., blasted his Republican colleagues for not calling Musk before the committee to answer questions about privatizing Social Security. Two Ways and Means Democrats, Reps. Judy Chu of California and Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, sent a letter Feb. 6 asking Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to testify before the committee.

But Republicans defended Musk’s supposed attempts to root out waste, fraud and abuse at SSA, while downplaying Democrats’ claims that the Trump administration planned to cut Social Security. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, played a series of clips featuring President Donald Trump saying he wouldn’t touch Social Security. GOP members also criticized SSA customer service under the Biden administration, saying Trump and Musk were focused on improvements to what has long been a pain point for the formerly paper-based agency.

With multiple DOGE-instituted closures of SSA offices across the country, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., pushed back hard on Republican claims of improved customer services being their “sole focus.”

“It’s interesting, because these cuts that have already [been] coming out of the administration are in the works, [including] those announcing the closure of 47 field offices and six regional offices,” he said. “How does that improve customer service?”

A story from The Washington Post that said SSA may drastically scale back phone services as part of DOGE’s push for cuts also drew Democrats’ ire, though the agency said in a press release Wednesday that reports of “plans to eliminate telephone services are inaccurate.”

Despite consistent messaging from the committee’s Democrats over Social Security cuts and Treasury security issues, both resolutions failed along party lines. One Republican said DOGE’s work must go on as part of Trump’s attempt to “slay the bureaucratic beast.”

“Those efforts are epic, breaking more than a century of acquiescence to spending and government,” said Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill. “The Trump team is courageously confronting the problem head on. We have an obligation and responsibility to bring down our debt and get this country back on track economically, and the DOGE commission and what President Trump and his team are doing is putting us on that path.”