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Fifteen Republican members of the House of Representatives have warned the Trump administration about the repercussions of further cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been spearheading efforts to drastically reduce excess federal funding and waste by cutting agencies’ staff numbers and funding. Still, it is lawmakers who will have to answer to voters in their constituencies if services cease to function smoothly.
The SSA announced in late February that it would reduce its “bloated workforce” by 12 percent from 57,000 employees to 50,000. This step attracted criticism from its former commissioner, Martin O’Malley, who warned that it could mean some of the 70 million people who depend on benefits going without their checks.
Now, in an open letter to O’Malley’s newly-confirmed successor, Frank Bisignano, the GOP collective led by New York Representative Nicole Malliotakis called for the body not to make any additional cuts that might “further deteriorate customer service that has been subpar in recent years.”
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The letter reminds Bisignano that millions of citizens “heavily rely on the services provided by our local SSA offices, the SSA website, and the SSA 1-800 number” and says that the lawmakers are “concerned about the SSA implementing staffing cuts and ending leases of customer service centers.”
The signatories report that constituents have already “shared with our offices the inadequate customer service provided by the SSA and have contacted us for assistance.”
They also note that, as of February 2024, the office had such a backlog of requests that 5.2 million actions were left pending, resulting in $1.1bn in improper payments going out, Social Security recipients having to wait for more than two hours on hold, and phone calls going unanswered.
“We commend and support the continued efforts to make our bloated bureaucracy more efficient for the American people,” they write.
“However, we must use caution and consider the impact any changes would have so there are no disruptions in services for our seniors and disabled who depend on the Social Security Administration to receive retirement benefits and supplemental security income.”
They further remind Bisignano that they are members of Congress “representing districts with significant elderly populations.”
The letter is signed by Malliotakis, typically a Trump loyalist, plus Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, David Valadao of California, Jeff Hurd and Gabe Evans of Colorado, Zack Nunn of Iowa, Mike Ezell of Mississippi, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Mike Lawler of New York, Mike Turner of Ohio, Ryan Mackenzie, Brian Fitzpatrick and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Jen Kiggans of Virginia.
The Independent has contacted the SSA for its response.
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With the Republican majority in the 435-seat House currently standing at just seven, Speaker Mike Johnson would not be able to pass the Trump administration’s legislative agenda if a group comprising 15 of its own members should choose to rebel.
Malliotakis, for one, has also warned the House leadership against compromising Medicaid, saying in another letter co-signed by colleagues on April 14 that she would support “targeted reforms” but could not back “any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”
Speaking to Geoff Bennett on PBS News’s News Hour on Tuesday, she said: “At the end of the day, it’s about preserving the benefits for people who are currently legally eligible for them, and then ensuring that there are certain parameters in place.
“We’re trying to find that balance here. And I think, if we do that, we will actually save money in the long run for the people who truly depend on this program and need it. And that is what this is all about. And I think we’re going to get there.”
Anxiety over potential disruption to Social Security payments appears to be growing. Former president Joe Biden recently attacked the Trump administration for “wrecking” and “robbing” a service he said amounted to a “sacred promise. ” He also lashed out at Musk for calling it “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds was booed at a town hall event in Florida last month as soon as he mentioned DOGE’s access to the service.
