WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), member of the House Committee on Appropriations, released the following statement on billionaire Elon Musk’s Unlawful Access to the Treasury Department’s Payment System and USAID:
“President Trump has granted Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, unbridled access to Americans’ most sensitive data.
Whether you receive hard-earned Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, a federal employee paycheck, or funding for your organization — Donald Trump has absurdly ordained Musk and his grossly unqualified cronies at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency as overseers of your fate. An outrage — and a flagrant violation of the privacy of everyday Americans.
Musk has also attempted to gut USAID, an agency run by devoted civil servants who ensure that our allies receive life-saving aid and safeguard our national security. By granting Musk access to confidential information, President Trump is once again violating the law and gravely jeopardizing American security.
Congress established USAID; it cannot be dismantled or even absorbed by the U.S. State Department without Congressional approval.
I was elected to uphold the U.S. Constitution and serve my constituents. I will always do just that. Alongside you, we must — and we will — fight back against these grotesque violations of our privacy, our laws, and our constitutional order.”
Rep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.
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