‘Dangerous’: Democrats Barge Into Speaker Johnson’s Office

Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) made an unexpected entrance into House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office on Wednesday, confronting him regarding Elon Musk’s team’s access to a Treasury Department payment system.

Their arrival coincided with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s visit to Johnson’s office, where he was discussing President Donald Trump’s tax agenda. This development came amid a growing Democratic outcry over Musk’s influence on federal operations.

Moore later stated that when she and Chu addressed Johnson, Bessent was not present, according to Politico.

“Gwen Moore forced her way in there, and then I got to go in right behind her,” Chu told reporters. “And she was already confronting Speaker Johnson about Treasury Secretary Bessent and the stealing of Americans’ private information, tax information that should never be stolen and given to this billionaire Elon Musk.”

Last weekend, Bessent granted Musk’s alleged Department of Government Efficiency access to the payments system while meeting with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) in Johnson’s office. This system is responsible for handling trillions of dollars in tax refunds, Social Security payments, and various government functions.

The Treasury Department informed lawmakers on Tuesday that Musk’s team currently has “read-only” access, emphasizing that their involvement “is not resulting” in any interruptions or delays to federally approved disbursements.

A witness at Johnson’s office condemned Chu’s and Moore’s actions.

“In the face of incredibly rude, extremely aggressive and frankly unhinged behavior, the Speaker was more than gracious and allowed the members into his personal office to hear their concerns,” said the individual, who wished to remain anonymous.

However, Chu’s office disputed that characterization.

“She never barged, or shoved her way, into anything. She politely joined the meeting already occurring and the Speaker invited her in for a brief, civil discussion. The Secretary was not present, and she left immediately afterwards,” Chu’s communication director, Graeme Crews, stated.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded questions about whether Elon Musk had undergone a security clearance check.

“Can you confirm that Elon Musk is a special government employee?” asked CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins. “And what kind of security clearance does he have?”

Leavitt responded, “I can confirm he’s a special government employee. I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws. As for his security clearance, I’m not sure, but I can check back with you.”

Collins pressed further, asking, “Did he pass a background check, do you know?” Leavitt replied, “I don’t know about the security clearance, but I can check.”

When asked if any member of Musk’s team had security clearance, Leavitt again stated, “I don’t, no, but again, I can check on that for you.”

CNN reported Monday that Musk’s designation as a special government employee indicates he “is not a volunteer but also not a full-time federal employee.” The outlet also cited an unnamed source claiming Musk had received “a top-secret security clearance.”

Attorney Arthur Aidala, speaking on CNN last month, argued that Musk should not need a background check for government work, given his contributions to space exploration.

In January, Musk pledged to bring home two astronauts stranded in space for nearly eight months “as soon as possible,” criticizing the Biden administration for the delay.

The SpaceX CEO and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency stated on social media that President Donald Trump personally requested his assistance in retrieving astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The two had been in space since June, despite their mission originally being planned for one week.

Plans to utilize a SpaceX capsule for their return had been in place since the Biden administration, but repeated delays prevented their retrieval, according to the New York Post.

Wilmore and Williams initially traveled to the International Space Station aboard a Boeing Starliner, marking the company’s first spaceflight. However, technical issues such as helium leaks and thruster failures led NASA to determine the capsule was unsafe for human transport back to Earth.

“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @SpaceStation as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X, Tuesday night. “Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”

NASA originally planned for the astronauts to return via a SpaceX capsule by February, but the mission was postponed to March or early April due to further setbacks.

While a SpaceX capsule for their return is already in orbit, the company delayed launching the replacement crew, who must arrive at the station before Wilmore and Williams can depart, The Post reported.

The outlet noted that NASA prefers crew transitions to overlap for smoother handovers. SpaceX, meanwhile, postponed the capsule’s launch for additional adjustments.

Initially, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were appointed to lead DOGE. However, Ramaswamy later withdrew to pursue a gubernatorial run in Ohio.

Both figures were vocal during Trump’s campaign about the necessity of reducing the federal government’s size and influence.