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Senators press Treasury on temporary payment holds, outside detailees and alleged data access
Summary
Committee members questioned Treasury Secretary Bessent about reports that detailees and political appointees sought access to payment systems and whether USAID payments or IRS systems were paused; Bessent said no Treasury‑authorized stoppages have occurred since his arrival and that protocols and MOUs governed access.
Senators at the appropriations subcommittee hearing pressed Treasury Secretary Bessent on reports that detailees from the White House Office of Domestic Engagement (referred to in testimony as "Doge" staff) or outside consultants sought or had access to federal payment systems and IRS data, and whether any payments were paused for political reasons.
Senator Reid (ranking member, as referenced) asked whether Treasury staff had begun, stopped or blocked any payments; Secretary Bessent replied, "Not to my knowledge," and described Treasury as "just the pay master" when agencies provide properly authorized payment requests. The senator cited media reports and a specific allegation that a Treasury chief of staff's email said staff needed access to pause USAID payments to comply with an executive order; Bessent said that potential actions described in litigation and media reports may have predated his arrival on Jan. 28.
The committee questioned whether detailees had access to the IRS Integrated Data Retrieval System. Bessent said he was not aware of Doge staff having such access and stated that any access would have been governed by a memorandum of understanding between agencies, with "proper controls" in place. When asked if Treasury had investigated the possibility that information was exported by detailees, Bessent said Treasury follows "strict protocols" and pointed to prior prosecutions of contractors who exported taxpayer files under earlier administrations.
The committee also raised personnel concerns about Tom Krause, described in committee exchanges as having been a White House detailee who later served as fiscal assistant secretary. When senators asked whether Krause had outside employment while at Treasury, Bessent said that as a special government employee he may have had outside employment and that "if he were an SGE, I think he's allowed to have outside employment." Bessent later said he believed Krause had left Treasury.
Committee members said they will submit questions for the record seeking documents and clarifications; Bessent and senators agreed to provide written responses. No formal committee action was taken during the hearing.
