A group of 191 House and Senate Democrats has sent a formal letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, demanding a reversal of actions targeting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The CFPB, established after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from unfair business practices, has been effectively paralyzed since Vought was named acting director and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) assumed control.

Since taking over, Vought has issued a stop-work order for nearly all CFPB staff, leaving the agency unable to carry out its regulatory functions.

In their letter, Democrats called for DOGE personnel to be withdrawn, citing concerns that Musk’s employees had physically entered the CFPB’s federal offices and attempted to access industry and consumer data.

“Your efforts to dismantle the CFPB are dangerous, and we will fight them at every turn,” the letter states. “We ask that you remove Mr. Musk’s operatives from the CFPB, restore all internal and external systems and operations, and allow the CFPB to continue to do its job of protecting American consumers.”

The letter was signed by all Senate Democrats, along with independent senators Angus King (Maine) and Bernie Sanders (Vermont), who caucus with them.

As the CFPB remains in limbo, the Democratic caucus is preparing for a showdown with the Trump administration and Musk’s DOGE, signaling a major battle over consumer protection and federal oversight.