Press Releases

In direct response to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) invasion of Americans’ privacy, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) joined House Democrats to introduce the Taxpayer Data Protection Act.

The new legislation will stop people with conflicts of interest or without a security clearance from accessing the highly sensitive Treasury Department payment system – which is responsible for Social Security and Medicare benefits.

“The takeover of federal payment systems by unelected billionaires and unvetted right-wing activists is a dangerous move that jeopardizes your personal information and privacy, and we are taking action to stop it,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I am proud to join the Taxpayer Data Protection Act as an original cosponsor as part of our efforts in Congress to hold the Trump Administration accountable and prevent Elon Musk and his minions from rifling through the private data of everyday Americans.”

If passed, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act will curb corruption and protect privacy by ensuring that only trusted public servants without conflicts of interest and with appropriate security clearances can access the Treasury Department’s most sensitive systems.

The Taxpayer Data Protection Act would:

• Protect the nation’s payment system from reckless and unlawful interference.
• Ensure that anyone accessing the system has lawful authorization and
• Has a reliable track-record of professional service
• Has the necessary security clearance
• Has made an ethics commitment and has no conflicts of interest
• Has appropriate cyber security training
• Ensure that anyone who accesses the system with a personal financial conflict faces criminal penalties.
• Ensure that Congress and the public have notice of any unauthorized access and an assessment of any cyber and national security risks or interference with federal payments.

The text of the legislation can be found here.

Earlier this week, Rep. Carbajal and more than 150 other House Democrats demanded a full accounting from the Treasury Department of Elon Musk and his allies’ access to the federal government’s payments system.