Trump administration agrees to restrict DOGE access to Treasury Department payment systems
The agreement came in response to a lawsuit accusing Treasury of committing an “unlawful action” by giving private info to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The agreement comes after a group of union members and retirees sued the Treasury Department alleging that providing DOGE access to the federal government’s massive payment and collections system — and the personal data housed in it — violated federal privacy laws.
The Trump administration filed a motion Wednesday night seeking to enter a proposed order that detailed the agreed-upon terms.
“The Defendants will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained by or within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,” the proposed order says.
The order would allow exceptions for two special government employees at the Treasury — Tom Krause and Marko Elez — saying they are permitted access “as needed” to perform their duties, “provided that such access to payment records will be ‘read only.'”
The restricted access would remain in effect pending a subsequent hearing on the lawsuit. The judge still needs to sign off on the proposed order.
The White House and the groups that filed the lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (snip)
February 6, 1899 Spain agreed to abandon all claims of sovereignty over Cuba, the cession of Puerto Rico and Guam, the cession of the Philippine Islands; and in exchange the U.S. agreed to pay $20,000,000 in a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate on this day. The previous July the U.S. took control of Gantanamo Bay, blockaded Cuba’s other ports and destroyed the Spanish fleet at Santiago Bay. The U.S. Army, landed at Guanica, near Ponce, Puerto Rico, and shortly took possession of the island with the exception of San Juan. The Spanish Pacific fleet was destroyed and the U.S. took control of Manila, the capital, and Luzon, the main island of the Philippines a few weeks later.
February 6, 1943 The U.S. government required the 110,000 disposessed Japanese Americans forcibly held in concentration (internment) camps to answer loyalty surveys. Some of the interned were U.S. citizens, and some volunteered to serve in the armed forces during the war with Japan. The Nisei, as they were known, were kept in the camps until the end of World War II. The Manzanar Relocation Center, a one of the concentration camps where Japanese-Americans were forced to live throughout World War II.
February 6, 1956 Autherine Lucy was excluded from classes just three days after becoming the first black person allowed to attend the University of Alabama. Her suspension “for her own safety” followed three days of riots over her Supreme Court-ordered enrollment. Autherine J. Lucy and her attorney Thurgood Marshall Crowds of students, townspeople and members of the Ku Klux Klan shouted, “Kill her!” among other things. It is unclear why the University did not suspend the students who were among the rioters. Lucy had originally applied for graduate study in library science in 1952, and had been accepted until the University realized her race, and claimed state law prevented her admission. A graduate of traditionally black Miles College, she was only admitted with the help of the National Association for Colored People Legal Defense and Education Fund (NAACP-LDEF) and lawyers Thurgood Marshall (later a Supreme Court justice), Constance Baker Motley (future federal judge) and Arthur Shores (elected to Birmingham City Council). Read more
February 6, 1959 The United States successfully test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), known as Titan, from Cape Canaveral. It was a two-stage rocket designed to carry nuclear warheads.Titans were also capable of boosting satellites and spacecraft into orbit. Before the last was produced in 2002, they launched several two-man Gemini missions in the 1960s and launched the first spacecraft to land on Mars. First test launch of Titan booster rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
February 6, 1961 The civil rights jail-in movement began when ten negro students in Rock Hill, South Carolina, were arrested for requesting service at a segregated lunch counter. They refused to post bail and demanded jail time rather than paying fines, refusing to acknowledge any legitimacy of the laws under which they were arrested. More about Charles Sherrod Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote to Charles Sherrod, Diane Nash and the others in jail: ‘‘You have inspired all of us by such demonstrative courage and faith. It is good to know that there still remains a creative minority who would rather lose in a cause that will ultimately win than to win in a cause that will ultimately lose.’’
February 6, 1985 The Molesworth Common Peace Camp, just outside the Royal Air Force Base there, was evicted by the British Army. The 300 inhabitants and their many supporters had been nonviolently protesting the siting of nuclear-tipped U.S. cruise missiles at the base. Peace camps were established at several locations in Europe in the early 1980s to protest the destabilizing nuclear weapons buildup. Molesworth Common peace camp
The world is on fire and none of us can do much to stop it on our own, but we can each do a little to stop it, and those actions add up to a massive resistance.
Red state residents recognize the shock and awe doctrine that we are all seeing from the first few days of the Trump administration. It’s something we have a lot of experience working with. Our nervous systems are already familiar with the constant attacks on democracy — the constant need to keep up with our lawmakers and pushback on our lawmakers.
I live in Missouri. I have lived under the tyranny of a GOP supermajority for two decades.
It’s not easy, but I have learned to make calls and post and write and then get outside. Do the work and take a break.
My emboldened lawmakers do whatever they want. They will not honor the will of the people and they need constant pushback from the people. We have been fighting in this way for over two decades.
The only way to stop them is through constant resistance. Because screw them and their authoritarian instincts. We didn’t elect Kings and I won’t have a boot on my neck and I won’t stand for one on my neighbor’s neck.
We can’t be shocked into silence.
My testimony against SJR 54, Jefferson City, MO. 2/4/25.
Yesterday, I drove to the Missouri Capitol to testify against something that has already been resolved. Abortion.
I thought I would share my testimony to the committee. This was my one thing yesterday. This was my act of defiance and resistance.
Here is my testimony:
Hello. My name is Jess Piper and I am here to testify against HJR 54. This resolution is an attempt to overturn the will of Missouri voters.
The Republicans who are behind this fake resolution claim to represent rural people. They don’t and I am here to set that record straight.
I am a rural mom to five and grandmother to four. I live in Northwest Missouri and I am angry about the overreach of the Missouri GOP. I am here to testify on the disrespect – the absolute disdain – shown to every Missouri voter by some of the folks in this room.
Amendment 3 passed in Missouri. There is no reason why I had to drive eight hours round trip to testify against an abortion restriction. Why can’t you just accept the will of your constituents?
I collected signatures for Amendment 3 in some of the most rural areas of this state. Brookfield is a town of 4,000 and when I pulled up to set up my table and gather signatures, there were folks in the parking lot waiting. A woman signed her name and then texted her Bible group to remind them to come sign the amendment.
Ever heard of Marceline? The town has a population of 2,000. A woman I met in Marceline chored her animals and farm – and then came to sign the amendment in overalls and mucks.
She knew what she was signing, and I am here to give her voice. It’s hard to get your chores done and make it all the way to Jeff City to testify against legislation and your own lawmakers who won’t honor your vote or your voice.
I bet many of you know where Maryville is. We were able to get a few hundred signatures in that town. Maryville is a “huge urban space” in the middle of cornfields, population 11k. They even have a Starbucks. I sat at that coffee shop for hours one afternoon to get signatures. When I was about to pack up, a man named Gordon came in to add his name to the petition.
Gordon is 86 years old. He uses a walker and drove all the way to town and proudly signed his name to a petition to make sure his great-granddaughters would not suffer under the tyranny of an abortion ban.
I am here to remind you that lawmakers who would overturn the will of Missourians should remember they serve the folks who sent them here, and many of those folks voted to approve abortion rights in this state.
Those people include the Bible group from Brookfield and the farmer from Marceline and the great-grandfather from Maryville.
I am also here to express my disgust with the Missouri GOP. You claim to be the party of “small government” but that is a lie. You want to control books, curriculum, teachers, children’s private parts, and every uterus in the state. You overreach into the lives of Missouri citizens each day.
You can’t be the party of “small government” when your members act like tyrants. Do better.
It’s as easy as that.
Well, it wasn’t that easy — I had to drive all day to speak for 3 minutes, but it was worth every mile. They were forced to listen to someone they have tried to disenfranchise. They were forced to see my face and listen to my scathing review of their tenure. They couldn’t escape me or the dozens who testified against the resolution to ban abortion…again.
I know how hard every day is, but do one thing today.
Share an article with friends and then call your Congressional Rep to demand they hold the line with Musk. Call your Senators and demand they do the same. Call you AG and demand they stand with the American people on the biggest data breach in American history — sue Elon for stealing the data of the people of their state.
And then go outside if you can.
Don’t be paralyzed in front of the television or your phone. Doomscrolling without action will make you crazy and exhaust you. That’s the point of shock and awe.
Do one thing. And then rest.
Rinse. Repeat.
~Jess
P.S. I am so thankful for the Abortion Action group and the Missouri ACLU who planned the resistance event at the Capitol. There were so many Missourians there to oppose SJR 54, that we filled the hearing room and an overflow room. The hearing went on for several hours with testimony opposing the resolution.
A few things I’ve run across while doing other things. We’re having freezing rain until noon, though it’s mostly not slick out. Still cloudy. Yesterday it was heaven, but today, Ollie is sad about no sun. There are fewer visitors to the trees and lawn for him to watch and play with!
Here’s one about Dems getting in the middle of DOGE. It sounds collegial, but the plan, of course, is oversight. They have no majority, but they can tell us what’s happening.
A new GOP-led congressional caucus that supports President-elect Donald Trump’s push to cut trillions in federal spending has welcomed a Democrat.
This week, Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida joined the Department of Government Efficiency caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Democrat to do so.
Moskowitz, who represents a “middle of the road” Florida district that includes Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale, said joining doesn’t mean he fully shares Trump’s agenda. <snip>
This I saw this morning, and it’s really heartening to see Kansas businesses organizing on behalf of customers! Here’s hoping businesses organizing for people becomes a thing.
by: Jeremiah Cook Posted: Feb 3, 2025 / 07:24 AM CST Updated: Feb 3, 2025 / 09:34 AM CST
KSNF/KODE — More than 100 Sunflower State pharmacies will close shop next week—to help send a message to lawmakers.
Wolkar Drug president and pharmacist Brian Caswell says on Wednesday, February 5, roughly 100 stores in 56 Kansas counties will close—including Wolkar Drug in Baxter Springs.
Roughly 400 people from those stores will be headed to Topeka—hoping to make a change in healthcare laws.
Caswell says pharmacy benefit managers—or PBM’s—have had a big, and negative, impact on the healthcare industry.
Caswell tells us PBM’s act as the middlemen between insurance companies and pharmacies—and can cause higher deductibles and even dictate what medications are covered, based on what makes them more money.
“PBM’s have been around for, like, well over 40 years, and they’ve slowly kind of changed the industry altogether and taken over. With the success of money and power, they’ve actually created a healthcare industry that’s just unsustainable right now,” said Brian Caswell, Wolkar Drug president & pharmacist. (snip-MORE)
“Dear Colleague: As we prepare to come back into session tomorrow, House Democrats will continue to push back against the far-right extremism that is being relentlessly unleashed on the American people. I write with an update on several urgent matters that we are working on for the country.
“First, I have made clear to House Republican leadership that any effort to steal taxpayer money from the American people, end Medicaid as we know it or defund programs important to everyday Americans, as contemplated by the illegal White House Office of Management and Budget order, must be choked off in the upcoming government funding bill, if not sooner.
“Second, at my direction, legislation will be introduced shortly to prevent unlawful access to the Department of Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment system that contains highly confidential and personal information related to Social Security and Medicare recipients, taxpayers, households, nonprofits, businesses and federal contractors.
“Third, in partnership with the Democratic Policy & Communications Comittee [sic], we will continue to highlight Republican policies that raise the already high cost of living for everyday Americans, including the wide-ranging tariffs directed at allies that risk dramatically increasing the price of groceries, fuel and automobiles in the United States of America.
“Fourth, Judiciary and Oversight Committee Democrats will detail for the Caucus the ongoing and anticipated litigation efforts to combat several of the unlawful executive actions, including, but not limited to, ending birthright citizenship, the firing of Inspectors General, terminations of federal civil service employees, the purge of the FBI and the suspension of funds appropriated by Congress. There are currently more than 20 different lawsuits challenging at least 11 executive orders.
“Fifth, Whip Katherine Clark will host a Caucus-wide meeting that includes the presence of outside experts, enhancing our ability to unpack and expose a recently uncovered Republican scheme to Rip Off the American taxpayer.
“Sixth, Chairman Pete Aguilar will continue to convene the ImmigrationWorking Group in connection with our efforts to secure the border, fix the broken system in a comprehensive manner, provide high-level constituent services to impacted communities and defend the Dreamers, farmworkers and families who contribute to our economy in a significant way.
“Seventh, House Appropriations Committee Democrats will continue to detail for the American people the federal funds that are at risk of being stolen, in the aftermath of our successful effort to halt the administration’s illegal so-called freeze by the Office of Management and Budget.
“Eighth, House Budget Committee Democrats will battle Republicans at the anticipated legislative hearing where the GOP will unveil a scheme to cut taxes for their billionaire donors and wealthy corporations while sticking working-class Americans with the bill.
“Ninth, our ongoing public safety accountability project will continue, as we detail for the American people the threat presented by violent felons who have been pardoned and released back into neighborhoods throughout the country, some of whom have a criminal record of predatory offenses including weapons charges, domestic violence and rape.
“Lastly, we urge all Members to once again conduct district-wide outreach today, or as soon as possible this week, in order to connect directly with our constituents and discuss the challenges we are decisively addressing on their behalf. For example, I will conduct a telephone town hall meeting in my district this evening. We will track participation throughout the Caucus.
“Thank you for your continued leadership during this perilous moment for our country. Together, we press onward.”
I’m not sanguine about 10-point plans that don’t include punching the Nazis, but he probably cannot say that in an official document. There’s a lot here to read (and read between the lines), so have at it.
Frankly, I’m glad that this got out, because like everyone else I want to know that they see this is a dangerous moment and that they are planning something other than whinging about the price of Super Bowl Pizza (Hi Chuck Schumer!) in the age of tariffs.
I quickly visited the Male Survivor site this morning. One of the other members posted this. I liked it, thought it was funny and true at the same time. Hugs.
February 4, 1882 American Colonization Society ship leaving New York City bound for Liberia. The American Colonization Society established the first settlement in what would become the west African state of Liberia. The new arrivals to the island called Perseverance were freeborn blacks from the U.S. who had emigrated with the encouragement of influential white Americans and funding from Congress. The colony was governed by whites for twenty years. Read more
February 4, 1987 The U.S. House of Representatives overrode President Ronald Reagan’s (second) veto (401-26) of the Clean Water Act. The law provided funds for communities to build waste treatment facilities and to clean up waterways. Reagan described it as ”loaded with waste and larded with pork.”
February 4, 1990 The Colombian government recognized native rights to half of its 69,000 square miles of forest in the Amazon River basin, home to 55,000 indigenous people. In addition to the official Spanish, as many as 200 languages or dialects are spoken among Colombia’s peoples. U’wa people Boys on the Amazon More on indigenous peoples
February 4, 1996 Start of a week of marches for peace by thousands in Grozny, the embattled capital of Chechnya.
February 4, 2004 The Massachusetts Supreme Court declared that gays were entitled to nothing less than marriage under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. They ruled that Vermont-style civil unions would not suffice, declaring they created an “unconstitutional, inferior, and discriminatory status for same-sex couples.” The actual text of the decision in Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health
In addition to mocking people, challenging authority, and making people laugh while making others soil themselves in anger, political cartoons can be a public service. Today’s cartoon is a good example of that because every American needs to know about this shit. when I sent this cartoon to proofer Laura, she told me she was hoping I’d cover this today because it hasn’t been covered enough. Some of you, dear readers, have also posted in the comments about this issue. So, let me begin.
Elon Musk has been granted access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. What does this mean? It means Elon and his people have access to the financial information for everyone who receives payments from the federal government, including Elon’s competitors for government contracts…and even those who receive tax refunds.
This means Elon has your social security number, your date of birth, your address, your income, and if you do direct deposit with the government, he has your banking information. Elon might have your bank account and routing numbers. If you’re not pissed off yet, Elon even has access to your Social Security and Medicare accounts.
This is like the Nigerian Prince on crack.
Perhaps the only person safe from this is that survivalist living “off the grid” with a YouTube channel my little sister cites for anti-vaccine information.
David Lebryk, a top Treasury official and a non-political civil servant was put on leave and then suddenly retired on Friday after a standoff with Musk and his lieutenants. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, gave Elon and his goons the keys to the car.
Elon is pretending he needs this access to monitor and stop government spending he deems unnecessary or corrupt. But again, Elon can’t approve or cancel government spending because he does NOT have that authority. Even Trump doesn’t have that authority.
Elmo attacked the Treasury Department Saturday, criticizing the department for not rejecting more payments as fraudulent or improper. Except, how does he know the payments are fraudulent or improper? Before last Saturday, Elmo didn’t even know what payments the government was making. Has he read every single contract the government has or just the billion-dollar contracts he has with the government?
Do you remember when the goons were outraged with the idea President Barack Obama was born in Kenya? Do you remember when the goons were upset over unelected bureaucrats?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is NOT a government department, but a team within the Trump administration (sic). Some members of DOGE have been made employees of the Treasury Department which is very odd since Trump demanded a hiring freeze. Somehow, these new Treasury employees have all passed speedy background checks which I’m sure aren’t suspicious at all.
Other DOGE teams have begun demanding access to data and systems at other federal agencies.
One of the people affiliated with DOGE who now has access to the payment system is Tom Krause, the chief executive of a Silicon Valley company, Cloud Software Group, and is worth over $83 billion. He’s only “affiliated,” and not officially a part of DOGE. Trump is allowing billionaires to rifle through the Treasury. Has Tom Krause passed a background check?
Guess what! Surprise, surprise, Cloud Software Group, much like Elon’s companies, has contracts with the federal government. I didn’t read that in any stories about this issue, I traced it. Krause was the individual who pushed for access and was first resisted by Lebryk until his hasty retirement.
This is like the bank robbers demanding the code to the safe and the manager giving it to them while making them a cake.
Elon having anything to do with the government is a conflict of interest. Even the name, DOGE, is a conflict of interest and a violation of the Emoluments Clause. This shouldn’t be allowed.
The best information I can find for accountability for DOGE is that there are about 20 employees and its office is next to the White House in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. What I can’t find but I’m sure will turn up throughout the Executive Grift, is how much DOGE is costing us.
Elon has talked about cutting $2 trillion from government spending, but it’s always always always always Republicans who do the most spending. I get to mention Dwight Eisenhower twice in this blog because he’s the last Republican president to leave a surplus. Now, here’s Elon to help Trump trim $2 trillion when it was Trump who increased our debt by over $7 trillion.
Ike sent that budget to Congress on January 25, 1960. A Republican president hasn’t sent a balanced budget to Congress since Running Bear by Johnny Preston was the number one song. See the shit I research for you? Also, Running Bear was the kind of shit we were forced to listen to before The Beatles (Elvis was in the Army and then he started a decade of those movies).
Bessent was confirmed just last week, but did he mention handing the government’s payment system over to Elon during his confirmation hearing? Since Trump didn’t mention it on the campaign trail, probably not.
Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee said, “I can think of no good reason why political operators who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems.”
I get texts and emails from scammers all the time, but I’m pretty good at spotting them, just like I’m good at spotting fake news. Some of those scams claim a package from USPS can’t be delivered, so click this link. Another will claim my Netflix payment didn’t go through, so click this link. There’s a new one claiming you have unpaid tolls, so guess what they want you to do…click this link. Then there are those gorgeous women on Facebook leaving comments on your posts telling you that you seem like an interesting person, but their friend requests won’t go through, so please send one to them. Last year, someone sent me a check for over $6,000 for me to draw them something (that one had flies on it). But all of them can only wish to be as good of a phishing scammer as Elon.
If you’re not pissed off yet, then there’s something wrong with you.
Now, someone tell Donald Trump that Elon also has access to all his financial information too.
Creative note: This blog was written at Wegmans. I found a nice quiet spot in the corner of the dining area upstairs. The location is almost hidden. I got about two paragraphs of this blog written when a lady sat one table over from me with her pink computer and started blasting videos. It was like being the only person in a movie theater and a creeper comes in and sits next to you. Actually, I think that’s how my parents met. Dad was a creeper.
Scottie's Playtime 