Musk to give update on reform effort amid questions about his power

WASHINGTON: Billionaire Elon Musk, who is heading U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to shrink the federal government, will give an update on the effort early Monday amid reports he has been given access to a vital payments system at the Treasury Department.

Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla and SpaceX plans to discuss the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a Monday social media talk on X, which he also owns. Trump has assigned Musk to lead a federal cost-cutting panel.

His access to the Treasury system, first reported by the New York Times, that sends out more than $6 trillion per year in payments on behalf of federal agencies and contains the personal information of millions of Americans who receive Social Security payments, tax refunds and other monies from the government has raised concerns about what he will do with the information.

Democrat Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, called for explanations as to why Musk had been handed access to the payment system and what Welch said included taxpayers' sensitive data.

"It's a gross abuse of power by an unelected bureaucrat and it shows money can buy power in the Trump White House," Welch said in an emailed statement.

Musk has Trump's support. Asked if Musk was doing a good job Sunday, Trump agreed. "He's a big cost-cutter. Sometimes we won't agree with it and we'll not go where he wants to go. But I think he's doing a great job. He's a smart guy. Very smart. And he's very much into cutting the budget of our federal budget."

Musk's team have been given access to or take control of numerous government systems.

Reuters reported on Friday, that aides to Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.

Musk has moved swiftly to install allies at the agency known as the Office of Personnel Management. A team including current and former employees of Musk assumed command of OPM on Jan. 20, the day Trump took office, the sources added.

Since taking office 11 days ago, Trump has embarked on a massive government makeover, firing and sidelining hundreds of civil servants in his first steps toward downsizing the bureaucracy and installing more loyalists.

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