Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA) and member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, with extreme concern following reports that, in one of his first acts as Secretary, Elon Musk and his associates were given "full access" to the federal government's critical payment systems, which include sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. Warren stated that handing over the federal government's entire payment system and sidelining the most senior official responsible for managing it is astonishing mismanagement and could trigger a global financial crisis.

The New York Times reported that Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began demanding access to the sensitive payment systems used by the federal government to disburse trillions of dollars annually, which are essential to preventing a default on federal debt. Controlling these systems could allow the Trump administration to unilaterally—and illegally—cut off payments for millions of Americans, putting the financial security of families and businesses at risk based on political favoritism or the whims of Musk and his team.

"The public depends on the integrity of these systems, which control the flow of over $6 trillion in payments to American families, businesses, and other recipients every year," wrote Senator Warren. Given the highly sensitive nature of the information in these systems, control is typically limited to a small number of career officials. The Washington Post reported that Secretary Bessent personally sidelined David Lebryk, a key official responsible for managing the extraordinary measures the Treasury is taking to avoid a default on U.S. debt. Musk and his team repeatedly pressured Lebryk to give them access to the payment systems as part of the Trump administration's plan to control spending in alarming and potentially unlawful ways. Rather than protecting the integrity and function of the payment system, Secretary Bessent reportedly bent to pressure from the White House, ultimately forcing Lebryk out. This move risks a global financial meltdown that would cost trillions of dollars and millions of jobs.

Senator Warren also added, ;The loss of Lebryk's expertise comes at a time when the Treasury is already taking extraordinary measures to prevent a catastrophic debt default. "The Fiscal Assistant Secretary—unlike the amateurs you have empowered in forcing him out—was well-prepared to manage these kinds of crises,