1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are pushing for access to Treasury Department payment systems that control trillions in annual disbursements like Social Security, tax refunds, and federal salaries. This attempt by an unelected billionaire to directly manipulate core government financial operations poses a severe threat to democratic integrity and accountability. Enabling Musk's DOGE to undermine career public servants working in the public interest signals a willingness to prioritize private profit motives over the economic well-being of millions of Americans who rely on these payment systems. Allowing this overreach sets an alarming precedent that could enable further consolidation of power by Musk and President Trump's administration at the expense of longstanding governing norms and public trust. Unchecked encroachment into fundamental civic infrastructure must be decisively halted to protect economic stability and preserve institutional safeguards.