Summary
Sen. Ron Wyden warned that Elon Musk’s team, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was granted “full access” to a U.S. Treasury payments system handling $6 trillion annually.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved the access, sparking concerns over national security risks and conflicts of interest due to Musk’s business ties with China.
Wyden highlighted potential threats to Social Security, Medicare, and contractor payments.
The move follows Musk’s broader efforts to overhaul government operations under President Trump’s directive for federal spending cuts.
The Treasury declined to comment.
Normally, in sane governments of the world, having the opposition raise the alarm is normal for things to be debated and discussed and potentially halted.
Great, but we’re talking about modern US politics here. For this to be news of any significance, that letter needs to be an ‘R’. That little letter changes the entire dynamic of the story— but downvote what you don’t understand. It’s cool.
If all actions and opinions by anyone other than the literal maniacs in power are completely insignificant, how do you ever learn opposing viewpoints about anything?