Democratic lawmakers question Energy Department over DOGE nuclear data access
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) wrote Wednesday to Energy Secretary Chris Wright about reports that staffers with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been granted access to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Markey and Beyer, who co-chair the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, cited recent remarks by Wright that three DOGE associates “have access to look around, talk to people, and give us some good feedback on how things are going.” They also cited media reports indicating a former SpaceX intern was given access to the department’s IT system despite lacking the required security clearances.
“There is no justification for relaxing basic security procedures when it comes to our nuclear stockpile, but recent actions reflect a brazen disregard for DOE security policies,” Markey and Beyer wrote, using an abbreviation for Department of Energy. “DOE must ensure that all personnel with access to classified information and systems surrounding our nation’s nuclear arsenal follow the highest security standards.”
Despite its name, DOGE exists within the executive office of the president and is not a congressionally authorized department. Democrats and officials have raised concerns over the legality of its actions, which have included efforts to dismantle federal agencies, buy out hundreds of thousands of federal workers from their jobs and take over federal payment systems.
House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) sent a similar letter Monday regarding the staffers’ presence at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The letter specifically requests details on whether any DOGE staffers have been given access to data on nuclear weapons, specifically that classified as restricted, formerly restricted or as critical nuclear weapon design information. It also asks for details on the process by which DOGE staffers at the Energy Department are granted security clearances and the revocation process.
In response to a request for comment from The Hill, an Energy Department spokesperson told The Hill, “No DOGE employees at the Energy Department have accessed or have been granted access to classified information or facilities including but not limited to NNSA classified information.”
This largely comports with comments by Wright, who said Friday that “rumors” that DOGE staffers are “seeing our nuclear secrets” are not true.
“They run through, checked by our security, and they have access to look around, talk to people and give us some good feedback on how things are going,” he told CNBC.
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