From the Oversight Committee Democrats (of which Rep. Gerry Connolly is ranking member)’s Press Office:
| Ranking Members Connolly, Brown, Stansbury Call on President Trump to Cease All DOGE Activities that Endanger America’s Cybersecurity
Following Cyber Exposures, Top Oversight Democrats Demand a Briefing from DOGE on Efforts to Protect Sensitive Government Systems |
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Washington, D.C. (February 25, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Shontel M. Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, and Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee Delivering on Government Efficiency, sent a letter to President Trump urging his administration to cease all DOGE activities that create serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, expose government networks to cyberattacks, and risk disclosure of sensitive information.
“We write with increasing alarm about how individuals associated with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) appear to have introduced negligent cybersecurity practices into information technology systems at multiple government agencies. This reckless disregard of critical cybersecurity practices creates opportunities for hostile actors to access sensitive information. We urge your Administration to cease all DOGE activities that create serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, expose government networks to cyberattacks, and risk disclosures of sensitive and personal information,” wrote the Members. On February 4, 2025, Committee Democrats sent a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) highlighting reports of a server added to the OPM network “without regard for crucial security and privacy protections.” Although the deadlines in that letter have passed, the Committee has yet to receive a response from the Administration. In the weeks since Committee Democrats sent that letter, further evidence indicates that DOGE activities have continued to expose sensitive internal systems, including the Department of Treasury’s payment systems and critical systems at labs that support the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. “Decades of efforts by both Republican and Democratic administrations, along with bipartisan collaboration in Congress, have strengthened the federal government’s cybersecurity practices, making them more transparent, enforceable, and resilient. In a matter of weeks, reckless behavior by the unelected and unaccountable DOGE team has undermined this progress and left multiple government agencies vulnerable to cyberattacks by foreign agents and malicious actors,” concluded the Members. To determine the severity of reported cybersecurity and privacy violations, Committee Democrats requested documents, information, and briefing from the leadership of DOGE on how DOGE is ensuring malicious actors do not have access to sensitive government systems no later than March 11, 2025. Click here to read the letter to President Trump. |
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