Department of Government Efficiency
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, before our very eyes, an unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the Federal Government.
Friday night, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, gained access to the Treasury Department's entire system of payments, including Social Security and Medicare benefits and Americans' tax refunds. I will say more on this in a moment.
But that was not all. This weekend, DOGE staffers also executed what can only be described as an illegal seizure of the U.S. Agency for International Development or USAID. We don't know who these DOGE staffers are. We don't know if they have security clearances. We don't know what legal authority they have to access USAID facilities, if any.
But we do know a few things. First, we know USAID has been completely ripped apart. Its offices are closed, its contracts have been broken, funding for its programs which protect American interests around the world have been halted, and Secretary Rubio said in an interview that he has been named the acting administrator and that they are ``reviewing and potentially reorganizing USAID.''
But who is he kidding? There is virtually nothing left of USAID to review. Even the lifesaving assistance he claims are exempt are not moving.
Second, we know shutting down USAID puts American security in danger. USAID programs preserve America's influence in Africa, Asia, and regions across the world. Our humanitarian efforts are critical for fighting Ebola, which is spreading in Uganda right now. It is essential for countering terrorist activity. At the time of soaring egg prices, shutting off USAID programs that fight the global spread of bird flu is utterly asinine.
If America retreats from the rest of the world, China will fill the void; Russia's influence will grow; hatred against the U.S. will keep rising; our diplomatic influence will disintegrate.
Third, we know that unilaterally closing USAID is illegal. Donald Trump does not have the authority to erase an independent Agency created by Congress, nor can the Department of State absorb USAID, especially because now there is, basically, nothing left to absorb.
We also know this is just the beginning. If DOGE attacks USAID today, then you can be sure they will move on to another target tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it will be the Postal Service or the IRS or even the Social Security Administration--they could be next--or maybe our National Security Agencies.
We also know something else, by shutting down USAID, DOGE is doing the work of Russia and China at the expense of the United States. In 2 weeks, DOGE has done more to erode American global influence than Russia and China have been able to accomplish in a long time, for Russian President and Putin ally, Dmitry Medvedev, even celebrated DOGE's activities online. Russia is elated by what DOGE is doing.
Both Russia and China hate the work of USAID because it limits their own influence on the world stage. Now China and Russia have, in effect, their own propaganda machine within the Federal Government.
This is dangerous. This is against America's interests. And President Trump needs to show some leadership and rein in DOGE before it inflicts more harm on America's national security.
Finally, DOGE's behavior is part of the troubling pattern of Russian and Chinese communist sympathizers increasing their influence on American foreign policy. A few days ago, Donald Trump named Darren Beattie as acting Under Secretary of State. Mr. Beattie has long pushed the Chinese Communist Party line on the Uighur genocide. He has repeated Russia's propaganda on the Ukraine war. He has even advocated that the U.S. make a deal to allow China to take over Taiwan. And now he has one of the most senior positions within the Department of State and oversees a large swath of American diplomatic work.
Make no mistake: DOGE's conduct cannot be allowed to stand. Republicans in Congress must join us to take action to restore the rule of law and stop any potential lawbreaking by DOGE. DOGE is spreading across the Federal Government like a virus, and it is the American people who will pay the price when their benefits and payments are illegally taken away.
On Treasury, last Friday, DOGE forcefully gained access to the Treasury Department's payment systems and to the most sensitive information of virtually every U.S. citizen. Donald Trump basically handed DOGE the Social Security data of virtually every American citizen. He gave DOGE access to America's personal tax refund data. He gave DOGE access to American people's Medicare and Medicaid benefits, disability data, veteran benefit data. Worst of all, we don't know what DOGE intends to do with this information.
If you want to know how an unelected shadow government operates, look no further than DOGE. DOGE staffers, whomever they are, now have unprecedented access to the most sensitive payment data in the entire Federal Government; unprecedented access with no transparency, with no guardrails, and, guess what, the one independent watchdog who could have provided oversight was fired by Donald Trump over a week ago.
The Treasury Secretary must revoke DOGE's access to the Treasury payment system at once. If he does not, Congress must act immediately.
That is why Leader Jeffries and I will work together on legislation to stop unlawful meddling in the Treasury Department's payment systems.
We must protect people's Social Security payments, Medicare payments, and tax refunds from any possible tampering by DOGE or other unauthorized entities, and that is what Leader Jeffries and I will work to do.
Let's be very clear: DOGE is not a real government agency. It has no authority to make spending decisions. It has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore Federal law. DOGE is operating, in essence, as a shadow government without accountability or transparency or regard for the rule of law. The American people did not vote to let DOGE get ahold of people's Social Security numbers. To give DOGE a choke hold on Treasury payments is outlandishly dangerous. It is like letting a tiger into a petting zoo and hoping for the best.
It is impossible to overstate that this is playing with fire. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which oversees these Treasury Department payments, executes over 1 billion transactions a year worth over $6 trillion. If these payments were ever intentionally or even accidentally halted or manipulated, it could paralyze the economy if we are not careful. One mistake, and people's Social Security benefits could freeze. Disability payments, aid to veterans, loans to small businesses--they could all be in danger. The Treasury Department is already using extraordinary measures to ensure we do not default on the debt. If DOGE's careless meddling were to cause us to default, it could trigger a financial crisis around the world.
This all begs the questions:
What does DOGE really want with all of this data? What possible reason is there to give rightwing extremists people's Social Security payments, Medicare payments, and personal information?
Will DOGE try to halt Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid? God forbid.
Will DOGE cut funding programs approved by Congress that Donald Trump decides he doesn't like? What about cancer research? food banks? school lunches? veterans' aid? literacy programs? small business loans?
How do we know DOGE won't use its access to the Treasury to enrich Donald Trump's billionaire friends?
What if they go after the business competition of DOGE's leadership? It is laughably naive to look at the wealthy billionaires who run DOGE, who make enormous sums through government contracts, and take them at their word that all they care about is efficiency. Give me a break.
The immense danger is that we have no clarity, no explanation, no details for what DOGE is truly after. The potential for corruption is too great. The Treasury Secretary must revoke DOGE's access to the Treasury payment system at once.
As I mentioned, Democrats in the House and Senate, Congressman Jeffries, and myself will introduce legislation to take action. We must halt this unlawful and dangerous power grab. DOGE has no business being anywhere near the Federal Government's payment systems nor Americans' private data.
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