Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) aggressively barged into House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office on Wednesday, demanding answers from him about Elon Musk’s team gaining access to a sensitive payment system at the Treasury Department. Their unannounced visit, part of a growing Democratic backlash against Musk’s actions across the federal government, occurred shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived at the speaker’s office to discuss the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tax agenda.
However, Moore said that Bessent was not in the room when she and Chu confronted Johnson, according to Politico. “Gwen Moore forced her way in there, and then I got to go in right behind her,” Chu told reporters. “And she was already confronting Speaker Johnson about Treasury Secretary Bessent and the stealing of Americans’ private information, tax information that should never be stolen and given to this billionaire Elon Musk.” Her claim that Musk has “stolen” private tax information on Americans is unsubstantiated. Musk has been tasked with rooting out wasteful government spending, and his role was assigned to him by President Donald Trump.
Bessent, who was in Johnson’s office to meet with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), granted members of Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to the payments system last weekend. This system oversees trillions of dollars in payments for Social Security, tax refunds, and other government functions.
The Treasury Department informed lawmakers on Tuesday that Musk’s team currently has “read-only” access to the system, and their review “is not resulting” in any suspensions or delays of disbursements approved by federal agencies. A witness to the incident at Johnson’s office condemned the actions of Chu and Moore. “In the face of incredibly rude, extremely aggressive and frankly unhinged behavior, the Speaker was more than gracious and allowed the members into his personal office to hear their concerns,” said the person, who asked not to be named to discuss the matter freely.
A spokesperson for Chu — who likely was not present to witness the incident — claimed: “She never barged, or shoved her way, into anything. She politely joined the meeting already occurring and the Speaker invited her in for a brief, civil discussion. The Secretary was not present, and she left immediately afterwards.”
