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Members press Treasury on contractor vetting after controversial hires; secretary says outside tech staff had read‑only access
Summary
Lawmakers questioned Treasury about vetting and access given to outside personnel tied to an efficiency office (DOGE). Secretary Scott Bissett said the individuals did not have write access to the government's payment system and that one individual with controversial social media posts was terminated.
Members asked detailed questions about the Office of Government Efficiency (referred to in testimony as DOGE), outside contractors and vetting practices after press reports about political appointees and senior contractors.
Representative Ivy asked whether two DOGE‑linked individuals on site at Treasury had access to the Treasury payment system, which processes trillions for the federal government. Secretary Scott Bissett said those contractors "did not have access to the payment system, or perhaps we have a different definition of access. They only had read‑only abilities, and it was for tech support to look at the payment system, the ERP system, just like any private enterprise." He added that an individual mentioned in press reports had been terminated: "I did not recall that individual's name, but that individual was terminated."
Members sought clarity on vetting and rehiring reports. A committee member cited press reporting about a contractor who resigned after public controversy and later was reported to have been rehired on some contracts. Bissett said he did not follow that individual's subsequent career in detail and that hiring and personnel vetting are handled through established personnel and Office of Personnel Management processes.
The subcommittee asked Treasury for a full accounting of who was given access to sensitive payment tools, the specific access privileges they held, and the agency's vetting records and contracting timeline for those individuals. Members also requested information on whether any contractor had been given write access to payment systems or privileged credentials.
