ICYMI: Rep. Jimmy Gomez and Colleagues Rally Outside Treasury Against Musk’s Unchecked Power Grab Over Federal Payment Systems
Washington,
February 5, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Representative Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and two dozen colleagues gathered at the U.S. Treasury Department to demand answers about Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to millions of Americans’ personal financial information. The representatives attempted to conduct congressional oversight but were denied entry. Gomez then joined hundreds of Americans outside Treasury to condemn Trump and Secretary Scott Bessent for handing an unelected oligarch access to highly sensitive Treasury data—including Social Security numbers, tax refunds, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, and federal payments to businesses. “I’m on the Ways and Means Committee—this committee is one the most powerful committee in the House of Representatives. It has direct oversight of the Secretary of the Treasury. It has direct oversight over taxes. It has direct oversight over trade. What they’re going to try do is pass a $5-8 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest 0.01%—that’s what this is really about. And when Secretary Bessent gave Elon Musk and his cronies access, it wasn’t just about data. People say it’s about data, but it’s really about control,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “Before I was ever elected, I was a union member and a union organizer with the Federation of State, County, and Municipal employees. And we learned that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. That ‘the 10 people who speak up make more noise than the 10,000 people who stay silent.’” Rep. Jimmy Gomez—a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax, trade, and federal payments policy—has been fighting back against Trump’s illegal power grab, including his attempt to illegally freeze federal funding. Last week, he visited Echo Park CDC Head Start in LA to hear from parents about the harm Trump’s actions could cause working families. After public pressure, the White House reversed its blanket freeze, but Trump is still pushing funding cuts. With Project 2025 architect Russell Vought set to lead the Office of Budget and Management (OBM), Rep. Gomez is holding the line in Congress to protect critical programs working families rely on from Trump’s attacks. ### |
