Dem Rep on Trump slashing Social Security: ‘That’s not a strategy, that’s stupidity!’
A congressional Democrat is sounding the alarm over changes Donald Trump‘s administration is making to Social Security that could disrupt payments to the millions of people who rely on the Social Security Administration.
It comes as world’s richest man and top Trump adviser Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has been slashing federal services in the months since Trump took office. One of the biggest agencies to face is the SSA — despite Trump’s vows to not touch Social Security.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who is running for governor in New Jersey this year, spoke on MSNBC Thursday:
Jose Diaz Balart: The Social Security Administration is backtracking on new ID requirements for beneficiaries, but their website has crashed four times this month. Twelve percent of their staff was recently laid off. What can you do as a member of Congress about this?
Gottheimer: So I immediately introduced legislation to stop the shutdown of all these offices, 40-plus offices, they’re shutting down around the country, laying off people. But now seniors are calling my office. And I was just in a grocery store the other day, and a bunch of people come up to me and say that they tried to make a phone call there, that one of their their benefits got messed up. And by the way, these are people’s benefits. People paid in … and they couldn’t get through? Everyone’s calling. They’re worried the offices will be closed and we’re going to help do everything we can.
But why would you go after seniors and take away something that generally works well? … And the idea that this administration is literally going after seniors and gutting the Social Security Administration makes no sense to me, and we’re doing everything we can to fight back, and you see them already trying to backpedal on it.
Jose Diaz Balart: How would you do it?
Gottheimer: You do it the right way, not with chaotically slashing and burning like they’re doing‚ and hurting seniors or hurting veterans or hurting kids who are hungry with school breakfast and school lunch. That is not a strategy. That’s stupidity. You don’t want chaos. You want common sense. And I think there’s a common-sense way to do all of this, right? You look at anything methodically and say ‘Is there something that doesn’t make sense? There are reforms that should be made, of course, and then you actually have a proper conversation about it, right? You study it, and then you do something about it. You don’t just slash and burn, cause chaos, and then have to conversation after you’ve caused the problem that doesn’t make any sense.”
The SSA is partially backtracking on a plan that would require all new and existing beneficiaries to travel to a Social Security field office to verify their identity.
The Social Security Administration on Wednesday said that people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income who are not able to use agency’s online portal, can complete their claim entirely over the phone instead of in person. Other SSA applicants will still be required to verify their identities at a field office.
The changes will apply to all beneficiaries beginning April 14th, instead of the previously announced date of March 31st.
Last week SSA announced a plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing 47 field offices in 18 states. The new requirements would have impacted anyone who needed to verify their bank information, as well as families with children who receive Social Security benefits and cannot verify certain information online.
The policy change sparked furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who say the Trump administration is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population.
AARP’s Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond said the Wednesday announcement “is a good first step.”
“Merely delaying the implementation of this change is not enough, though,” she said. “SSA should take a deliberate approach to its proposed changes to customer service that seeks public input, follows a clear communication plan, and allows a reasonable timeframe for compliance.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.