Recently, both Scott Bessent and Jerome Powell discussed DOGE’s access to Treasury payment systems. On February 7, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated in an interview that DOGE’s operational review aims to identify cost savings without altering any data, as the Fed controls changes to payment systems. Addressing concerns about system integrity, Bessent asserted that the team has read-only access.

On February 11, Fed Chair Jerome Powell argued that the Fed acts as a fiscal agent, processing payments for the Treasury but not making decisions on them. Powell stated that the payment system is safe and emphasized that payment decisions are managed by the Treasury and other federal departments.

As previously covered by InfoBytes, DOGE’s access to Treasury payment systems was blocked by the U.S. SDNY after attorneys general from 19 states requested a temporary restraining order.