Larson and Ways and Means Democrats Warn Trump’s Social Security Administrator: The American People are Watching
Washington, D.C. -Today, amidst Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s targeting of Social Security, Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01), along with every Ways and Means Democrat, warned Acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Leland Dudek that the American people won’t stand for cuts to their earned benefits in any form, whether they be direct benefit cuts or backdoor cuts by laying off staff and closing field and hearing offices.
Yesterday, every Republican on the Ways and Means Committee voted to block Ranking Member Larson’s Resolution of Inquiry, which would compel President Trump to disclose to Congress information about ‘DOGE’ activity at the Social Security Administration, including their plans to close field offices or cut staff.
You can view Rep. Larson’s remarks here.
“For years, Republicans have been gunning for Social Security to weaken its brand, slash benefits, and move toward privatizing,” the lawmakers wrote. “Now, President Trump is spreading widely discredited lies about the program and its integrity; Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is calling Social Security a 'Ponzi scheme'; and on your watch, the Trump Administration is taking a wrecking ball to SSA. Undermining SSA’s ability to serve the public is the next step in a calculated effort to dismantle trust in Social Security and open the door to privatization — an outcome that benefits Wall Street, not working families.”
“Make no mistake: if unchecked, the Trump Administration’s actions will devastate the ability of an already-overstretched SSA to serve the public and deliver Social Security payments, resulting in a de facto back-door benefit cut to the American people. House Democrats are fighting to keep SSA offices open and to block Elon Musk and his cronies from accessing SSA’s databases. We urge you to resist Elon Musk’s ongoing attacks on Social Security, and to halt any plans to lay off SSA employees and shutter field or hearing offices,” the lawmakers concluded.
Read the full letter HERE.
Along with his Resolution of Inquiry, Rep. Larson introduced the Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act to put a moratorium on the closure of Social Security Field Offices and the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to block 'DOGE’ access to sensitive beneficiary data. As Ranking Member of the Social Security Subcommittee, he has requested an immediate hearing about ‘DOGE’ activity at the Social Security Administration.