In a Wednesday House congressional hearing that was as tense as it was theatrical, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found himself at the center of a sharp grilling from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and other Democrats over economic policy, transparency, and access to Treasury Department systems under his leadership. But the hearing opened with an unexpected and awkward personal moment between Bessent and Waters.
“This is the first time we’ve met — is that correct?” Waters asked.
Bessent responded with a smile, “No, ma’am. We actually met one New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas.”
Waters, unimpressed, quipped, “He didn’t make an impression. Why don’t I remember that?”
.@RepMaxineWaters: “This is the first time we’ve met, is that correct?”@SecScottBessent: “No, ma’am. We actually met one New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas.”
Rep. Waters: “Why don’t I remember that?”
Sec. Bessent: “You were much better at the electric slide than I was.” pic.twitter.com/vwq2CpI3eC
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 7, 2025
“You were much better at the Electric Slide than I was,” Bessent replied, referencing their brief shared moment at the party. “And I was with the prime minister of the Bahamas yesterday, Prime Minister Davis, who sends his regards.”
The levity quickly faded. Waters pivoted to her long-standing grievances with the Treasury Department, noting she’d sent Bessent five letters without receiving meaningful replies. “That’s odd,” she said. “You’ve been at Treasury, and I only received cursory replies from your staff. Why didn’t you respond?”
When Bessent paused, Waters answered her own question: “I guess you don’t know.”
Waters accused Bessent of presiding over economic decline, citing a 0.3% contraction in gross domestic product during Trump’s first quarter and slamming his role in what she called “the dumbest trade war in history.”
The California Democrat went on to criticize the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative linked to Elon Musk that her party claims has compromised security by granting outside personnel access to Treasury Department systems.
Treasury Secretary Shuts Down Rep Maxine Waters On DOGE Treasury Access
Scott Bessent: “They were granted read only access at Treasury … They were treasury employees… There is no such thing as a DOGE employee, they were treasury employees.”https://t.co/xtuK9JmWrp pic.twitter.com/vg4RW7wKQR
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) May 7, 2025
Waters pressed Bessent repeatedly: “Did all the individuals working with DOGE receive the required clearances and training?”
Bessent defended the program, stating that individuals had “read-only” access and were Treasury Department employees.
“There is no such thing as a ‘DOGE employee,’” he emphasized.
Waters was not convinced, saying, “I disagree with you based on the information I have.”
The hearing saw repeated clashes. Waters accused Bessent of “opening the door” to outsiders and compromising sensitive data.
Bessent explained that only two people had limited access and that both were vetted Treasury Department staff, but Waters cut him off: “You can’t filibuster here. This is not the filibuster playground.”
XI JINPING VISITS MOSCOW AHEAD OF BESSENT’S TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA
On Tuesday, at another congressional hearing, Bessent revealed startling failures in the government’s payment system. Of the 1.5 billion annual payments processed by the Treasury Department, more than one-third lacked a treasury account symbol, the identifier that links a payment to an appropriation.
“That’s why 450 agencies can’t pass an audit,” he said, noting that new rules now require every payment to include a TAS number. “Midlevel employees feel liberated — they’ve waited years to fix this.”