[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 101 (Thursday, June 12, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2663-H2664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DOGE HAS UNFETTERED ACCESS TO PERSONAL DATA

  (Mr. Larson of Connecticut was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I, first and foremost, will 
associate myself with the remarks of Mr. Neal from Massachusetts about 
our dear friend and colleague, Charlie Rangel.
  Also, Mr. Speaker, I will point out, as well, that I believe the 
Representative from Indiana was on the floor talking about how we 
should go after PBS and NPR. ``Sesame Street'' and Big Bird are really 
culprits here, and every American ought to be really concerned about 
that.
  We still have something we call free press and free opinions. If you 
think that they are the kind of organization that they are--I believe 
the other night on the floor they were called communistic, as well. How 
about we have an open public hearing and debate on that and put 
legislation forward not in the dark of night but when the public can 
actually view what you are saying.
  Mr. Speaker, I am here today primarily, though, to talk about Social 
Security and also to enlighten, I hope, my colleagues on the other 
side. I am very concerned about the Supreme Court's most recent ruling 
that overturned two lower courts with no logic and said, no, there 
shouldn't be a pause, that DOGE ought to be able to look at everyone's 
personal data and records.
  To all Social Security recipients and all Americans out there that 
are tuned in to this, understand what this is about. This is about DOGE 
having access to the more than 70 million Social Security recipients 
and everybody who, in fact, is on Social Security, which will include 
basically the whole Nation.
  Why they need this data they don't make clear, but then again, they 
have never been vetted. They have never had to go through a Senate 
process. They are a special group status that has no responsibility or 
accountability and have been given unfettered access to everyone's 
personal data and information.
  I would hope that one Republican--perhaps you, Mr. Speaker--will 
stand up and speak out against this outrage, because you know how 
important Social Security is to your district and how many recipients 
you have and how much money comes into your district on a monthly 
basis.
  Imagine, that hasn't been altered in over 54 years because this body 
hasn't taken action, but now Elon Musk and Trump will get over the 
dispute they had because their focus is on privatizing Social Security 
and going after the $2.7 trillion of the people's money that is in 
trust. Their goal is to privatize Social Security by both dismantling 
it from within by laying off people, cutting phone service, closing 
regional offices, and suspending more than 7,000 workers under the 
guise of ``we are after fraud and abuse.''
  They are about to take and use something that could be a very 
constructive tool in AI, but, no, they are going to be using that tool 
to go after the people's data and information and the $2.7 trillion in 
the trust fund.
  Will anyone on the other side of the aisle join Representatives Neal 
and Jeffries in putting forward a bill that stops DOGE from looking at 
and taking people's personal data and information?

[[Page H2664]]

  


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  They have no accountability. The only accountability over Social 
Security is the United States Congress. If the Republicans remain 
silent and let this happen, shame on them for letting this happen. 
There is no way that Americans should be subject to a person who hasn't 
been verified, people who are going in and looking at their personal 
data and information.
  I think it is disgusting what is going on, and there ought to be 
hearings and, most importantly, there ought to be a vote. We have a 
plan. We have a plan not to privatize Social Security, but to enhance 
it for the first time in over 54 years, to lift the 5 million people 
that get below-poverty-level checks out of it.

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