Protecting Sensitive Data for Millions of Americans

Floor Speech

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Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm that sensitive data for millions of Americans is at risk. Many of us have heard of the scams, data breaches, and hacks that have plagued businesses and individuals for years.

Unfortunately, the newest threat to our personal data comes from within the Federal Government. Over the past 3 months, Elon Musk's DOGE employees embedded themselves in dozens of Federal departments and agencies without any guardrails or protections put in place by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

We know this data is extremely valuable to bad actors and foreign adversaries. In fact, after DOGE infiltrated the National Labor Relations Board, suspicious attempts were made to access the data from an IP address in Russia.

Congress should be working to fulfill our obligations to the American people and safeguard their data. Instead, my colleagues across the aisle have seemingly left the door open for DOGE and anyone else to potentially access and misuse their constituents' personal information.

It is not just the recklessness that should concern everyone across the country. It is the fact that the data being held by the government is being weaponized by the Trump administration.

The IRS recently entered into an agreement with ICE to share information about immigrants. The same is true of data on affording housing recipients. If we allow them to use this data now, then what will stop them from using information from other agencies in the future against other groups of Americans?

Mr. Speaker, at a recent Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, we heard from experts in this field who were invited there by my Republican colleagues that as we seek to harness the growth of AI, we must put guardrails in place to protect all Americans' sensitive information, which we know is a target-rich environment for foreign adversaries.

My colleagues don't have to take my word for it. Just listen to the testimony of the people whom Republicans invited here to testify. Malicious actors do not care what someone's political party is or where they live before they steal our data. Our response to this threat should be bipartisan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to stand alongside House Democrats in calling upon the Trump administration, the Office of Management and Budget, and DOGE to clarify what actions they are taking to safeguard the most sensitive taxpayer data that exists on our Federal systems. If they don't act, then we should here in Congress.

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