Larson, Ways and Means Democrats File Resolutions of Inquiry to Compel Answers from President Trump and Secretary Kennedy on ‘DOGE’ Meddling
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) joined every Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee to file Resolutions of Inquiry compelling answers from the Trump Administration on ‘DOGE’ meddling in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) and their backdoor benefit cuts to Social Security at the direction of the White House.
“Musk and Trump’s plan to fire staff and close offices is breaking down the Social Security Administration,” said Larson. “The website is crashing and phone wait times are skyrocketing. Americans are struggling to reach anyone when they need help with their benefits. It is long past time for Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE’ cronies to come before Congress and testify under oath about their plans for Social Security. Musk may be the richest man in the world, but he is not above the law and must be held accountable. I stand united with Democrats to hold the Trump Administration to account and protect the hard-earned benefits more than 70 million Americans rely on from their attacks. We will continue our oversight efforts until we get answers.”
“This Administration can ignore our requests for additional information, and House Republicans can bury their heads in the sand, attempting to avoid the crises at hand, but Ways and Means Democrats will not stop fighting for answers for the people,” said Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01). “The Courts have been clear to DOGE: hands off the people’s data, and the people have been clear too: hands off our earned benefits.”
“Ways and Means Democrats will fight to protect the privacy and earned Social Security benefits of every American,” said Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (IL-07). “In violation of the courts and against the will of the people, DOGE is leading the largest security breach of government data - accessing the most private tax, unemployment, health and child support information to use for unmonitored purposes serving their own interests rather than those of our constituents.”
“My constituents who paid into Social Security deserve the benefits they’ve earned, regardless of whether they visit a field office,” said Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04). “Social Security recipients may not have the mobility for an in-person visit, or they may live in remote areas without offices nearby. Either the Trump administration overlooked these very obvious facts, or they simply don’t care. Either way, Nevadans and people across America deserve better. Thanks to public outcry, Social Security is narrowing the scope of the new policy, but we still need to demand answers. The Resolution of Inquiry I’m leading with my Ways and Means colleagues will bring accountability to an administration that is generating chaos, shutting down SSA offices, and gutting staff.”
The NDNH is a confidential database used to enforce child support payments, that includes the personal and financial information of every worker in America, including Social Security numbers, names, and addresses. Without proper authorization, Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ is probing this database is to access Americans' private tax information, in violation of court orders protecting the confidentiality of this data. The members’ Resolution of Inquiry directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to transmit documents to Congress related to the ‘DOGE’ seizure of legally protected identity and financial data stored in the National Directory of New Hires and the Federal Parent Locator Service.
At the same time, Musk and 'DOGE' continue to pursue backdoor cuts to Social Security by gutting staff, services, and operations at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Led by Reps. Larson and Horsford, the members submitted a Resolution of Inquiry requesting information from President Donald J. Trump relating to SSA operations after March 12, 2025. This comes after a federal judge blocked Elon Musk's ‘DOGE’ from accessing Social Security beneficiaries’ information.
Read the NDNH ROI HERE.
Read the SSA ROIHERE.