Maryland lawmakers rally outside Social Security Administration HQ in response to DOGE treasury access
BALTIMORE -- A group of Maryland lawmakers rallied outside of the Social Security Administration (SSA) headquarters in Baltimore County Monday after the White House's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to the Treasury Department's payment system.
That access was blocked by a federal judge's ruling on Saturday.
What is DOGE?
DOGE, a task force led by billionaire Elon Musk, was created to lower federal spending.
DOGE's access to the personal data of millions of Americans prompted several lawsuits, including one filed by unions and advocacy groups that alleged the Treasury Department unlawfully provided the task force with private data, CBS News reported.
"Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies. With his DOGE crew, they have accessed highly sensitive personal information on Americans at the Department of Treasury, including social security numbers, bank accounts, and other very sensitive information," Van Hollen said.
The Treasury Department's payment system is handled by the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which also sends Social Security checks, tax refunds and federal salaries.
Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) along with Reps. Kweisi Mfume, Johnny Olszewski and Sarah Elfreth planned to rally outside the SSA building around 12:30 p.m. to call for the protection of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Van Hollen criticized the Trump administration's efforts to restructure federal agencies, including is firing of multiple inspectors general in January.
"If you wanted to make the federal government more efficient, you would not start by firing all the Inspector Generals and all the federal agencies. The Inspector Generals are there to look out for fraud, waste, and abuse. And so firing them actually just clears the way for the DOGE people to engage in fraud and waste and abuse," Van Hollen said.
DOGE on Social Security
The lawsuit from unions raised concerns about security risks with DOGE's access to taxpayers' personal information including bank account data and Social Security numbers, according to CBS News.
"The scale of the intrusion into individuals' privacy is massive and unprecedented," the lawsuit claimed.
Max Richtman, CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said the task force and Elon Musk "now have access to the personal information of every Social Security beneficiary — and the ability to stop payments for any federal programs they dislike."
On Feb. 5, the Treasury Department said DOGE had "read only" access to the system and expenditures had not been affected, according to CBS News.
On Feb. 8, a federal judge blocked the task force from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive data after 19 attorneys general, including Maryland AG Anthony Brown, sued Mr. Trump alleging his administration allowed DOGE to access the department's payment system, violating federal law.
According to CBS News, DOGE gained access to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which was designed to protect consumers from fraud and scams. The independent government agency has since been ordered to stop much of its work.
The task force and the Trump administration have also disrupted operations at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries.
A federal judge recently prevented the administration from placing more than 2,000 USAID employees on administrative leave.
"I will remind people that USAID helps stop diseases overseas, which not only saves lives overseas, but stops those diseases from coming across the water to America right here. And they have shut down a consumer protection agency," Van Hollen said.
