‘Power grab’: Jeffries unveils data protection bill amid DOGE crackdown

House Democrats unveiled legislation on Thursday that seeks to secure the personal data of Americans amid the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) spending sweep.

House Democrats unveiled the Taxpayer Data Protection Act to “shield the American people from this out-of-control power grab, permanently, and make sure that the financial, personal, medical, and confidential information of the American people is protected.”

Musk and his team at DOGE have spent the past two weeks going into various government departments and identifying “wasteful” spending where cuts can be made. 

Musk was recently granted access to the Treasury Department, which manages federal finances and taxes, where he has “read only” access to the government’s payment system, a Treasury Department official told members of Congress on Tuesday.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Democrats have vocally opposed the sweep, suggesting during a press conference on Thursday that Musk is gaining access to the personal access of Americans and introducing legislation to circumvent any efforts. 

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., claimed that Republicans are “working for Elon Musk and doing the bidding of an unelected, unaccountable, out of control billionaire puppet master.”

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“Why do Elon Musk and his minions need access to the names, Social Security numbers, addresses, birthdates and bank account information of millions of Americans?” Jeffries asked. 

Elon Musk and his team at DOGE have spent the past two weeks going into various government departments and identifying “wasteful” spending. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“What are they doing with that information, and why aren’t House Republicans stopping them?” Jeffries said, adding that a Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced shortly.

Amid Democratic opposition to the spending sweep, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Musk and DOGE.

“Elon Musk is the greatest entrepreneur of this generation,” Bessent told FOX Business host Larry Kudlow. “DOGE is not going to fail. They are moving a lot of people’s cheese here in the capital, and when you hear this squawking, then some status quo interest is not happy.”

A security guard stands at the entrance to the U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

On Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked DOGE from obtaining access to certain Treasury Department payment records. 

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According to a temporary restraining order, Treasury officials “will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained within the [Treasury] Bureau of Fiscal Service,” Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote.