NM Dem U.S. Sen. Luján co-sponsors DOGE BROS Act

Yahoo

20-05-2025

Congressional Democrats say the DOGE BROS Act is needed to counter Elon Musk and DOGE's efforts to access individuals' personal information. (Photo by)
Several Congressional Democrats on Tuesday, including U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), announced a new bill aimed at countering what they describe as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's 'continued efforts to improperly access' individuals' 'personally identifiable information,' such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and Social Security numbers.
The Defending Our Government's Electronic data: Bolstering Responsible Oversight & Safeguards (DOGE BROS) Act would increase five penalties for violation of federal privacy laws.
As Source reported this week, the New Mexico Health Care Authority recently informed the contractor who manages payments on its behalf that it did not consent to such information being shared with the federal government, which requested the data. The United States Department of Agriculture, earlier this month, wrote a letter to all U.S. states asking them to provide the 'names, dates of birth, personal addresses used, and Social Security numbers' of anyone who is receiving or has applied to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).
'From day one, Elon Musk's DOGE has taken a wrecking ball to the federal government and critical services for the American people, all while carelessly pursuing their sensitive personal data,' Luján said in a statement. 'Congress must do more to protect that information and keep it out of the wrong hands.'
Specifically, the law proposes the following penalty increases for improper disclosure:
identifiable information in any agency record from its current penalty of up to $5,000 to up to $30,000
information obtained from a computer in any U.S. agency or department without proper authorization from $250,000 up to $750,000
any Social Security or Medicare data would increase from $10,000 to $25,000
tax return information, which now carries a penalty up to $5,000, would increase up to $25,000
census data, now with a penalty up to $5,000, would increase up to $25,000
Lead sponsor U.S. Sen. Mark Warren (D-V.A.) said in a statement, 'As unvetted and unqualified DOGE employees continue to recklessly access the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans, it's important that we take steps to better protect this data. For too long, our privacy laws have sat outdated, barely serving as a deterrent for improper handling or potential release of information. This legislation would enforce that privacy must be a priority when handling the data of the American public.'
Other sponsors — all Democrats — include: U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-V.A.), Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-M.D.), Adam Schiff (D-C.A.), and Peter Welch (D-V.T.)