Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer rebuked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk's allies for obtaining Treasury records and said he would introduce legislation with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to resist DOGE's actions.
"This week, Leader Jeffries and I will work together to advance legislation to prevent unlawful interference with the Treasury Department's payment system and prevent everyone's records from being made available to a small group of people who can view those records at will," Schumer said.
While Schumer acknowledged that "reform is a worthy goal" and that "we should seek to make government more efficient," he argued that "history shows that reform does not succeed when it is carried out in the dark by a very small number of people with limited experience."
He also said: "Mark my words. The American people will not tolerate an unelected secret group running amok in the executive branch. Innovation is a good thing, but Mr. Musk, this is not a technology startup. These are public institutions that deal with matters such as Social Security, Medicare, and national defense to protect the well-being of the American people, and the American people have the right to participate in relevant discussions."
Schumer also expressed objections to the way the Department of Government Efficiency gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. "There is nothing more undemocratic than having a group of corporate secret agents forcefully take over America's Social Security and tax information late at night," he said.
He continued: "Whatever the Department of Government Effectiveness is doing, it is certainly not what democracy should be like in the great history of the United States, and it has never been what democracy has been like."