WASHINGTON, D.C. (KATU) — A group of U.S. senators joined by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) is demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding Elon Musk’s access to sensitive information within the agency.
The senators, including Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Gary Peters (D-MI), have expressed concerns over Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and its activities at VA facilities.
“We understand that personnel reporting to Mr. Musk have recently visited VA facilities,” the senators wrote to VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Senators, veterans, and members of the public have serious concerns regarding Mr. Musk’s extraordinary and unprecedented activities and the lack of transparency surrounding them, including his potential access to and handling of sensitive or personal information.”
The senators are seeking detailed information about DOGE personnel who have visited VA facilities, the systems they accessed, and whether veteran data, including medical and service records, may have been viewed, copied, or transferred. They also requested clarification on the agreement governing DOGE’s engagement with the VA.
According to military.com, Elon Musk’s aide has been given access to contracting systems as well as information on VA operations and information technology systems.
Senator Murray has been vocal against the mass firing of VA employees under President Trump and Elon Musk, which she argues threatens critical research on veterans’ medical care. Earlier this month, Murray opposed Collins’s nomination as VA Secretary, citing concerns over national security and veterans’ safety.
In a previous letter, Murray and 25 colleagues urged Secretary Collins to deny Musk and DOGE access to any VA or government systems containing veterans’ information and to delete any such data in their possession.
“There is nothing ‘efficient’ about indiscriminately firing thousands upon thousands of workers in red and blue states whose work is badly needed,” Murray said. “We are talking about safety engineers at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site, VA doctors and nurses, utility line workers in my home state, CDC health experts who investigate disease outbreaks, and so many others.”
Murray criticized the mass firings, stating that they do not address fraud or waste and are pushing out high performers and promising next-generation federal workers. She emphasized the impact on essential services, including health care, food safety, and housing.
“The scale and scope of Trump and Elon’s purge will set our country back decades, but we are not powerless in this moment,” Murray said. “It is incumbent on every one of us to speak out for a government that works for middle-class families and working people—not just billionaires who will never need to call about their Social Security benefits or file a disability claim at VA.”
The VA has reported that in fiscal year 2024, there were 102 active research sites nationwide, with 3,685 active principal investigators leading 7,278 active funded research projects. VA investigators authored or coauthored 11,732 published research articles.
