Recently Elon Musk along with six young men between 19-24 were able to enter federal computer servers. Musk and others were able to gain entry with the permission of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant. They proceeded to examine secure systems with the highly confidential data of millions of American who receive federal funding in grants, contracts, and Veteran, Medicare and Medicaid’s benefits and for foreign aid programps through USAID.
I don’t think many Americans are aware that an unelected South Africa-born billionaire, and subordinates have access to their personal data. Congress is the branch of government who authorizes expenditures, not Trump, Bessant, or Musk. Congress as stated in the Constitution has the power to spend money. The 1974 Impoundment Control Act was passed to protect money appropriated by Congress from being cancelled or redirected. The act was passed because Congressional representatives thought that President Nixon had abused his power of impoundment by withholding funds for programs he opposed.
Laws likely have been broken, but courts take a long time to arbitrate cases and beyond and single abuse of the law, people need to know that Musk’s actions are a direct attack on the Constitution; overruling the spending power which resides with Congress alone.
There are some folks who want to burn it all down, but most of us don’t. Please talk to family and friends, especially in Republican states and tell them to ask their elected officials: “Why are you letting an unelected billionaire have my personal information and give them the power to take money I have a right to?”
Cathy Ferbrache
Bothell
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