Murray, Schumer, Wyden, Schatz, Warren Sound Alarm Over Musk Forcing Way into Highly-Sensitive Government Payment System, Threatening to Choke Off Funding for the American People
Murray: “It’s already painfully clear that this is the most corrupt administration in our history, and it’s putting our economy, our government, and our most at-risk communities in serious jeopardy.”
Murray: “Maybe Elon will decide he doesn’t like that Blue Origin—and not SpaceX—gets a contract, so he wants to gum up the works on their payments. Private corporations and competitors need to take note. And anyone who thinks that surely won’t happen has not been paying attention.”
Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to sound the alarm over Elon Musk and his team at the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” being granted access to the federal government’s central payments system, which handles $6 trillion and the vast majority of all federal disbursements each year. Musk and his associates were granted access to the U.S. Treasury’s payment systems the same weekend they threatened their way into the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and seized Office of Personnel Management (OPM) computer systems. New reporting indicates they are now forcing their way into Small Business Administration (SBA) systems, as well.
Murray and her colleagues outlined the threat of Musk and the administration abusing the Treasury’s payment system to illegally block funding and payments, the danger of allowing Musk access to Americans’ most sensitive personal data, and how this administration’s historic corruption and illegal funding freezes are putting our country’s economy and national security in jeopardy.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:
“Well we’re two weeks in, and it’s already painfully clear that this is the most corrupt administration in our history, and it’s putting our economy, our government, and our most at-risk communities in serious jeopardy.
“In particular, we learned that Elon Musk now has access to the Treasury Department’s most sensitive payment system handling six trillion dollars every year and managing nearly all federal disbursements. It’s a system that contains extremely sensitive personal and commercial information, and I’ve been hearing from people across my state who are truly alarmed about what Musk and his associates having access to this system could mean for their data—and for funding that they count on.
“Let’s not mince words here. An unelected, unaccountable billionaire—with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China, and an indiscreet axe to grind against perceived enemies—is hijacking our nation’s most sensitive financial data system and its checkbook so that he can illegally block funds to our constituents, based on the slightest whim or wildest conspiracy. Funds—mind you—that Congress passed on a bipartisan basis.
“Some Republicans are trying to suggest that Musk only has ‘viewing access’ to Treasury’s highly sensitive payment system as if that’s acceptable either. But why on earth should we believe that—particularly when he is saying the exact opposite loudly and repeatedly for everyone to see?
“What funds will Elon target next—life-saving medical research? Housing assistance? Food banks? We already know he is falsely attacking faith-based organizations that help people—and promising to cut off funds based off conspiracy theories.
“The world’s richest man has vowed to cut off funding that helps the least among us. Think about that. And next—think about how many dollars he himself makes from government contracts. And the Trump Administration is handing the keys of the Treasury over to him? It does not get more blatantly corrupt than that.
“And let me underscore just how dangerous this is—because now that Trump has handed over Treasury’s checkbook, what if Elon decides he doesn’t like how Ford is getting federal funds to build an EV battery plant, what’s next? All Elon has to do is say ‘oh, they’re woke,’ and he can convince Trump to illegally cut off those funds.
“Maybe Elon will decide he doesn’t like that Blue Origin—and not SpaceX—gets a contract, so he wants to gum up the works on their payments. Private corporations and competitors need to take note. And anyone who thinks that surely won’t happen has not been paying attention.
“Now, make no mistake: Trump and Musk have absolutely zero legal authority to hold up any federal payments that are law, but that has not stopped them so far.
“This country is still reeling from the chaos of last week’s blanket spending freeze and Trump’s illegal executive orders to withhold funds are still not yet revoked. Trump and Musk have yet to find a law they think applies to them.
“That is not how things work in this country. We have a democracy. We have checks and we have balances—where the President is accountable to Congress, where we pass the laws, and he implements them.
“But some of my colleagues across the aisle seem to be forgetting that our democracy does not work by magic. We have to do our part to hold the President accountable. Our job is not to say ‘yes’ to everything any President does—no matter how lawless or harmful.
“Democrats are pushing back with the tools that we have. We will speak out, we will press this administration, we will open investigations, and we will demand accountability. The one tool we do not have is the majority in this Congress.
“So that means our Republican colleagues have to say ‘enough.’ We need them to join us. We need them to stand up to the corruption and lawlessness and stand up for the people they represent.”
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