Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) along with Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and other Democratic colleagues have sounded the alarm on an issue that strikes at the core of our veterans' privacy. A letter, dispatched to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, urges the VA to shield personal information that has found its way into the hands of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This concern has erupted following Musk's acquisition of the U.S. Treasury's payment system, a move that inadvertently granted DOGE employees access to the VA's database.

With veterans' private data at stake, including financial and health records, the Senators are calling for swift action. According to a press release from Senator Kelly's office, they demand "the Secretary deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession." Kelly stresses that veterans, who "risked their lives to defend our country," should not be subjected to having "an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain."

The Senators warn of Musk and DOGE's unbridled access to sensitive veteran records, including the genomic data from the Million Veteran Program. As cited by Senator Kelly's press release, the group is particularly concerned with the lack of transparency and accountability, emphasizing that Musk and his team, being private citizens, lack "proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements."

This entreaty to the VA Secretary echoes the commitments made during his confirmation process. They recalled how Collins had vowed to focus on "rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA." The Senators now want these words translated into tangible action and have concluded with a plea that Collins "respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files," as per the statement from Kelly's office.

The letter marks not merely a concern of a few but is signed by an assembly of Democratic Senators including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and others known for their advocacy of veterans' rights. The full text, which outlines the gravity of the security lapse and potential misuse of information that should be held sacrosanct, is publicly available for scrutiny.