Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Rep. Maxine Waters clashed during a hearing regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to his agency’s information, with the Trump Cabinet member at one point reminding the California Democrat there’s “no such thing as a DOGE employee.”
Waters began her line of questioning by claiming that DOGE chief Elon Musk and those working under him have been granted “unfettered” access to the country’s financial systems.
“Do you know the level, type, or nature of the clearances and security training required for individuals to access the information held in the computers of Treasury, IRS, or [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]?” Waters asked.
“Yes, I do, and I think we would have a disagreement over the definition of the word ‘unfettered,’” Bessent responded.
Unsatisfied with his answer, Waters pressed on, asking whether DOGE was allowed to run amok at Treasury. “Again, they were granted read-only at Treasury. There were two…” Bessent began before Waters interrupted.
“Please! You can’t filibuster here. This is not the filibuster playground,” she said with a glare. “What you did was, you let these strangers into our Treasury with access to all of the data, all of the personnel information, and you just opened the door! Why’d you do that?”
Bessent responded by telling Waters, “There’s no such thing” as a DOGE employee and that everyone she referenced was under his direct supervision.
Waters also appeared to forget that she met Bessent on a New Year’s Eve trip to the Bahamas some years ago.
“This is the first time we’ve met, is that correct?” Waters asked Bessent during the House Financial Services Committee hearing.
“No, ma’am. We actually met one New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas,” Bessent said.
“Why don’t I remember that?” the 86-year-old Waters asked.
“You were much better at the electric slide than I was,” Bessent testified. “And I was with the prime minister of the Bahamas yesterday, Prime Minister Davis, who sends his regards.”
“Well, were you with my husband when he was the ambassador to the Bahamas, appointed by Clinton?” Waters asked Bessent, who chuckled awkwardly.
