Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) unexpectedly entered House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office to confront him regarding Elon Musk’s team gaining access to a Treasury Department payment system.

Their intrusion occurred shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived to discuss the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tax agenda, amid growing Democratic concerns over Musk’s influence in the federal government.

Moore claimed that when she and Chu confronted Johnson, Bessent was not present. “Gwen Moore forced her way in there, and then I got to go in right behind her,” Chu told reporters. “She was already confronting Speaker Johnson about Treasury Secretary Bessent and the theft of Americans’ private information, tax information that should never be stolen and given to this billionaire Elon Musk.”

Last weekend, Bessent granted access to the payment system to members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency while meeting with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). This system manages trillions of dollars in tax refunds, Social Security payments, and various other government operations.

The Treasury Department informed lawmakers that Musk’s team currently has “read-only” access to the system and that their review “is not resulting” in any delays or suspensions of federal agency-approved disbursements.

A witness to the incident condemned Chu’s and Moore’s actions, stating, “In the face of incredibly rude, extremely aggressive, and frankly unhinged behavior, the Speaker was more than gracious and allowed the members into his personal office to hear their concerns.” The witness requested anonymity to speak freely about the matter.

In response, a spokesperson for Chu disputed this characterization. “She never barged or shoved her way into anything. She politely joined the meeting already occurring, and the Speaker invited her in for a brief, civil discussion. The Secretary was not present, and she left immediately afterwards,” said Chu’s communication director, Graeme Crews.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced questions regarding whether Elon Musk had received security clearance or passed a background check. When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if Musk was a special government employee, Leavitt confirmed, “I can confirm he’s a special government employee. I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws. As for his security clearance, I’m not sure, but I can check back with you.”

Collins pressed further, asking if Musk had passed a background check, to which Leavitt replied, “I don’t know about the security clearance, but I can check.” When asked if anyone on Musk’s team had received security clearance, Leavitt again responded, “I don’t, no, but again, I can check on that for you.”

Additionally, CNN reported that Musk’s designation as a special government employee means he is “not a volunteer but also not a full-time federal employee.” An unnamed source claimed that Musk had been granted “a top-secret security clearance.”

Attorney Arthur Aidala argued on CNN last month that Musk shouldn’t need a background check to work in government, citing his achievements in space exploration. Musk has vowed to bring home two astronauts stranded in space for nearly eight months, criticizing the Biden administration for not retrieving them sooner. He revealed that President Trump personally requested his assistance in rescuing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been in space since last June on what was initially a weeklong mission.

Plans to use a SpaceX capsule for their return had been in place since Biden’s presidency, but the mission faced multiple delays. The two NASA pilots traveled to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner, which encountered issues, leading NASA to order its return to Earth last year.

Musk stated on social media, “The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @SpaceStation as soon as possible. We will do so,” expressing frustration that the Biden administration had left them there for so long.

NASA had initially planned for Wilmore and Williams to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule by February, but the mission was postponed to March or early April due to delays. The SpaceX capsule designated for their return is already in orbit, but the launch of the replacement crew has been delayed to ensure a smooth transition at the space station.

Initially, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were set to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, but Ramaswamy has since withdrawn to run for governor of Ohio. Both have been vocal about the need to reduce the size and power of the federal government throughout Trump’s campaign.