Given Republican dominance of the House and Senate, congressional action against Elon Musk’s infringement on Americans’ privacy is difficult to implement, but Democrats on Capitol Hill pledged to take action Thursday.
House Democrats sponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which prohibits Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency from obtaining sensitive personal and financial information via the federal government’s payment systems.
The law would require anybody who accesses the Treasury Department’s networks to have the necessary security clearance, cybersecurity training, and an ethical certification. It would require them to have no financial conflicts of interest and would impose criminal penalties if they used the systems while in conflict.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark promised to assist safeguard Americans. Jeffries also said he expects Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to introduce a comparable bill in the Senate.
“We will use every tool at our disposal to protect the interests of the American people, to uphold the Constitution and guard everyday families from this Republican billionaires-first agenda,” Clark said reporters at a press conference. “Elon can purchase a lot. He is the richest guy in the world. “The American people and their security are not for sale.
Jeffries described Musk as a “puppet master” who controls House Republicans.
However, Democratic senators admitted that they would need to work across the aisle to persuade at least three Republicans to support their measure. Leader Jeffries also stated that he expects Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to present a counterpart measure in the Senate.
Representatives Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Sean Casten (D-Ill.) presented the measure at the news conference. Stevens, a former Treasury Department official under former President Barack Obama, believes Americans should be concerned about Musk and DOGE penetrating federal institutions.
Casten described the situation as an unlawful constitutional crisis.
“The actions that Musk and his IT goons have taken, they’re illegal, they’re clearly illegal, but so far, unprosecuted actions have already compromised millions of Americans’ privacy and data security,” he told CNN.
Although House members looked to be on fire in their opposition to Musk and President Donald Trump, they are still working out the best strategy.
Several congressional Democrats have privately told HeadlinesForever that without a majority in either the House or the Senate, they are handicapped and have little alternatives to strike back against the White House.
Democrat members told HeadlinesThey’ve always privately urged Jeffries to focus on the economy rather than the instability of this administration.
The minority leader did bring it up at the news conference, accusing Republicans of failing to meet the needs of Americans.
“There isn’t a single law, plan, or movement to reduce the exorbitant expense of living. “Housing costs in America are too high, as are child care costs, grocery costs, utility costs, and insurance costs,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the top Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee urged Republicans to join them in opposing DOGE’s attempts.
“We cannot do it alone. The math is not on our side. “We need a few Republicans who still believe in law and order, separation of powers, and coequal branches of government,” added Rep. Linda Sanchez of California during another press conference.