(NAFB.com) – Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding that the USDA safeguard farmers’ personal and financial information and rescind the Department of Government Efficiency’s unprecedented access to USDA’s payment systems. Reports showed that DOGE has access to USDA databases containing farmers’ sensitive financial information. This intrusion breaches farmers’ privacy and raises serious concerns about the future of USDA payments, our nation’s food security, and the consolidation of farmland and processing operations. “Farmers share sensitive financial information with USDA when seeking federal loans or disaster assistance,” Baldwin said. “Historically, only trained Farm Service Agency staff and senior USDA officials have had access to this data.” She also said there is no clear justification for the DOGE access, and it raises serious concerns about data security, farmers’ privacy, and the potential misuse of confidential records. “Farmers face big challenges, and the accessibility and security of USDA resources is more important than ever,” she added.