Welcome to The Logoff. Today, I’m focusing on a fight over control of the Treasury Department’s payment system, a legal battle with big implications for our democracy. At stake is Congress’s ability to keep control over government spending, a critical (and co…

Published 7 months ago on Feb 14th 2025, 12:00 pm
By Web Desk

Welcome to The Logoff. Today, I’m focusing on a fight over control of the Treasury Department’s payment system, a legal battle with big implications for our democracy. At stake is Congress’s ability to keep control over government spending, a critical (and constitutional) check on Donald Trump’s power.
What’s the latest? A federal judge on Thursday signed off on an agreement limiting the access that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gets to the Treasury Department’s payment system. For now, only two DOGE employees will be able to view the system’s inner workings, but they won’t be able to make changes or cancel payments.
Back up. What’s the context here? For weeks, DOGE employees have been pushing to access the system — which handles trillions of dollars of federal spending — and sparring with career (non-political) Treasury employees who oversee it. Government employees’ groups sued to block DOGE’s access, resulting in Thursday’s agreement.
What access does DOGE want? Ultimately, DOGE is seeking the ability to unilaterally cancel payments. That’s clear after the New York Times and CNN revealed that Trump’s team had tried unsuccessfully to get Treasury to cancel all payments from the US Agency International Development, the agency Trump has since gutted.
What happens next? The limited-access deal will remain in place while the federal court case goes forward.
What are the bigger stakes here? There are privacy and security concerns, but this is ultimately about the balance of power. The ability to cancel Treasury payments would effectively give Trump control over government spending. The Constitution reserves that power for Congress, and Trump taking it would be a massive expansion of his authority. It would also allow Trump’s team to rapidly paralyze spending at government agencies that don’t align with his agenda, making the dismantling of USAID easier to replicate.
And with that, it’s time to log off ...
Okay! I know that was a lot. Thanks for making it through. It’s Friday, so I have a choose-your-own adventure set of links for you. If you’re exhausted and just need a laugh, here’s my favorite (and highly rewatchable) Saturday Night Live skit in a good while. And if you’re feeling motivated, here’s a super helpful article on how to bring down your grocery bills. Either way, I really appreciate you reading. Have a fulfilling weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week.

ECC approves final Reko Diq agreements
- 6 hours ago
50 Sudanese migrants killed as boat capsizes off Lebanon coast
- 8 hours ago
US-UK sign major technology partnership during President Trump's visit
- 8 hours ago

Google Discover feed gets major upgrade with social media posts and shorts
- 6 hours ago
Qatar plans ICC case over Israeli airstrike on Doha building
- 5 hours ago
Rupee strengthens against dollar in interbank and open markets
- 8 hours ago
Trump says he disagrees with UK on recognising Palestinian state
- 6 hours ago

Over 140,000 students register for MDCAT 2025
- 5 hours ago
Israeli aggression continues in Gaza as 48 more Palestinians martyred
- 5 hours ago

Tragic electrocution claims lives of father and son in Karachi
- 5 hours ago

Flood threat rises in Sindh as water flow increases at Sukkur and Kotri Barrages
- 8 hours ago
Drone from Yemen crashes near hotel in Israeli city of Eilat
- 4 hours ago
You May Like
Trending