Wichita Standard

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal, along with 26 Democratic Senators, has urged Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to take action in securing veterans' personal information. The call comes after reports that Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) employees have accessed VA computer systems and the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which contains private information about veterans and their families.

In a letter addressed to Secretary Collins, the Senators demanded an immediate cessation of access for Musk and DOGE to any government systems containing veteran information. They emphasized the importance of safeguarding this data: “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”

The letter highlights concerns over potential misuse by Musk and DOGE: “Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA.” The Senators also expressed alarm at the lack of transparency regarding DOGE’s access: “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk... It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government... We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades.”

The Senators underscored potential risks associated with unauthorized access to confidential records stored in VA systems. These include medical records that could identify veterans who received abortions or counseling services. The Million Veteran Program's genomic data storage was also mentioned as being at risk.

The coalition concluded by urging Secretary Collins to uphold his confirmation promises: “During your confirmation process... We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access.”

Joining Blumenthal were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Raphael Warnock, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen among others.