Press Releases

Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) demanded answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy and Treasury Secretary Bessent on DOGE’s latest unlawful and unjust incursion into taxpayer data. The National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) contains information about every wage earner in the country and their employers, including wages, employer tax identification numbers, Social Security numbers, verified dates of birth, addresses, unemployment insurance benefit information, and other information derived from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms.

“We understand that DOGE is seeking access to personal and confidential worker and taxpayer information contained in The National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) despite representations made to the courts and in the media that DOGE will not have access to the personal and confidential information of American citizens,” the Ways and Means leaders wrote.

 “It is essentially an end-run around the confidential taxpayer information protected by the IRS,” the lawmakers continued. “We are concerned about this ill-advised pattern that DOGE seems to follow at every federal agency. “

In conclusion, they emphasized that: “It is both unclear and unsettling why DOGE continues to seek access to private and confidential information at each agency behind closed doors when telling the public something different. It also is unclear why DOGE would be privy to this sensitive information. No one, including DOGE, should be rummaging around in the confidential information of private citizens at any agency where the protected information resides. DOGE should not weaponize private and confidential information to strike fear in American citizens.” 

The full letter is available HERE. 

The lawmakers asked for written responses to the following questions:

• How many times did DOGE request confidential taxpayer information protected under Section 6103 or contained in the NDNH?  Please provide the name of the requester, the date of the request, a description of the data sought, the name of the system, and a copy of all correspondence soliciting such information by DOGE. 
• How many times has DOGE received confidential worker or taxpayer information protected under Section 6103 or Section 453 of the Social Security Act (42. U.S.C. 653), or access (including continuous) to systems that contain such information?  Please provide the name of the recipient, the date(s) such information or access was provided, the name of the system, and a description of the information provided along with any correspondence sent to DOGE regarding such information. 
• How many workers or taxpayers (individuals and businesses) have had their confidential information received or accessed by DOGE?  Please provide the date(s) received or accessed, a description of the data, the number of workers or taxpayers (in millions) provided, a breakdown of the workers or taxpayers by individual and business, a list of the names and state of residence of such persons, and the name of the individual(s) who authorized providing such information to DOGE.

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