Democrats devise a new way to fight for America against Republicans hellbent on enabling Elon Musk’s fascism 

Nazi cosplayer Elon Musk now has access to your sensitive data. The same people who were clutching their pearls over Hunter Biden’s laptop are now gleefully handing over the keys to the Treasury’s payment systems to Musk and his merry band of DOGE teens.

This would almost be funny if it weren’t so terrifying. House Republicans are out here playing defense for Musk. Forget about accountability — they blocked Congress from subpoenaing Musk to answer basic questions about why he has access to these systems in the first place. At this point, we’re not even pretending this is a democracy anymore. Billionaires like Musk get to run amok while the rest of us are told to sit down, shut up, and pay our taxes.

Thankfully, not everyone in Congress is asleep at the wheel. House Democrats have introduced the Taxpayer Data Protection Act — a bill designed to curb Musk’s overreach and put some basic safeguards in place.

The proposed legislation is simple but crucial. It would: 

• Require anyone accessing Treasury systems to have the appropriate security clearance. 
• Mandate cybersecurity training for anyone with access to sensitive data. 
• Prohibit individuals with financial conflicts of interest from accessing these systems. 
• Impose criminal penalties for violations.

Of course, passing this bill is no small feat. With Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, Democrats will need at least three Republicans to join them to get this legislation through. But the fact that Democrats are even trying should give us all a little hope. They’ve called on Republicans to oppose DOGE’s blatant power grab and stand up for the American people. Whether the GOP will actually do that remains to be seen, but let’s not hold our breath.

This isn’t just a case of Musk stumbling into power accidentally. Reportedly, he is classified as a “Special Government Employee” (SGE). Musk’s federal role is unclear, but what is clear is that he seems to have complete administrative control over DOGE. Even worse, his involvement may violate the Impartiality Regulation, a federal rule that requires employees to recuse themselves from matters affecting their financial interests — or those of closely affiliated organizations. Let’s not pretend Musk doesn’t have financial interests here. The man runs an empire built on government contracts and subsidies. If this isn’t a conflict of interest, then what is?

Musk and his DOGE committee are consolidating power in ways that should alarm anyone who cares about democracy. And yet, Republicans are actively enabling this madness. Now, it’s up to the American people to make some noise. Call your representatives. Write letters. Tweet until your thumbs hurt. We also need to support the Taxpayer Data Protection Act. It might not solve all our problems, but it seems to be a step in the right direction.