News Coverage
Democrats urge Social Security Administration to keep field offices open
Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), are urging the Social Security Administration to keep open its field offices and demanding transparency about potential closures in a new letter. In addition to Warren, 65 House members and 40 senators signed the letter to acting Social Security commissioner Leland Dudek on Wednesday, requesting that he commit to keeping open the field offices and tell them if the agency intends to close any. The request came after the … Continue Reading
April 23, 2025
Warren Warns of ‘Backdoor Way’ Trump and Musk Want to Gut Social Security
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a new video on Wednesday warning seniors that Donald Trump and Elon Musk “are taking a chainsaw to your Social Security.” In the video, recorded as a Q&A-style explainer and posted on YouTube, Warren details the carnage that’s unfolding at the Social Security Administration (SSA) — thanks to Musk, the world’s richest man — and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE has led efforts to fire thousands of workers at the SSA and shutter … Continue Reading
April 23, 2025
Senate Democrats seek answers from inspector general on Social Security cuts
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (New York) and four other Senate Democrats are urging the Social Security Administration’s inspector general’s office to investigate the impacts of the U.S. DOGE Service’s dramatic restructuring and sweeping cuts to the government agency. The letter sent to the inspector general’s office Wednesday is part of a broader Democratic effort to defend Social Security from what they describe as a reckless government downsizing campaign spearheaded by Donald … Continue Reading
April 15, 2025
SEN ELIZABETH WARREN: Social Security is under attack. Gutting it is a broken promise
Gutting Social Security isn’t "efficient" — it’s a broken promise. Democrats and Republicans should stand up and fight back to protect it. Social Security is not charity. Americans pay in, paycheck after paycheck, over a lifetime of hard work. When they get older, they get that money back to help them retire. That’s the iron-clad, take-it-to-the-bank promise that America makes to workers. But right now, Social Security is under attack like it has never been before. Billionaire Commerce … Continue Reading
April 14, 2025
Democratic senators press Social Security Administration on reports of ‘dangerous’ employee cuts
Several Democratic senators are demanding answers from the Social Security Administration following reports that the agency may make staff cuts to a significant department within the agency. The Social Security Administration is reportedly considering additional workforce reductions, including a potential 50% cut in the Office of the Chief Investment Officer. The department, otherwise known as OCIO, is responsible for protecting sensitive data, maintaining benefit claims processing systems, … Continue Reading
April 10, 2025
Anxiety grows in Mass. over Social Security staff cuts, errors, long wait times
President Trump’s promises that Social Security benefits will not be cut are providing little reassurance to Massachusetts residents, advocates and employees who are witnessing changes to the program firsthand. The Trump administration has slashed the nearly 90-year-old agency’s workforce as part of an effort to downsize the federal government. Though no cuts have been made to individual benefits, service delays and staffing reductions are creating anxiety for people across the state. WBUR … Continue Reading
April 10, 2025
Scoop: Top Senate Dems propose emergency Social Security payment boost
Top Senate Democrats plan to unveil legislation that would provide an emergency $200 monthly increase in Social Security benefits through the end of the year, Axios has learned. Why it matters: It's the party's latest effort to highlight the Trump administration's tariff policies and now-scrapped DOGE-driven plans for service reductions to the popular benefits program. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will introduce the Social Security … Continue Reading
April 09, 2025
Warren, two Senate colleagues demand answers on Social Security website problems, agency cuts
After reports of repeated crashes and other problems with the US Social Security Administration’s website last week, Senator Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers are demanding answers about the disruptions following moves by the Trump administration to downsize the agency and cut workers. In a letter to Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek on Monday, Warren, along with Democratic Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Ron Wyden of Oregon, said they are concerned the website problems … Continue Reading
April 08, 2025
Social Security wrongly told disabled people and some seniors their benefits ended, causing alarm
The Social Security Administration last week wrongly informed some recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the federal program that provides financial assistance to disabled Americans and low-income senior citizens, that they were no longer receiving benefits. The agency's website informed some SSI recipients they are "currently not receiving payments," according to an April 7 letter from senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Kelly of Arizona to … Continue Reading
April 08, 2025
Democrats confront SSA about disruptions to constituent SSI accounts
After standing up a Social Security War Room to respond to what some Democrats are calling a “prelude to privatization” at the Social Security Administration, three Senate Democrats are pressing the agency to respond to reports from their constituents that they’ve had problems with online accounts used to manage Supplemental Security Income benefits. “It would be outrageous if the Trump Administration, either due to incompetence or nefarious planning, is already disrupting, or threatening to … Continue Reading
April 03, 2025
The cost of Social Security cuts
SOCIAL INSECURITY — After launching a Social Security “war room” earlier this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running the numbers on how cuts to the financial assistance program for seniors could impact the Bay State. According to data compiled by Warren’s office and shared with Playbook, nearly 1.5 million Massachusetts residents rely on Social Security. The numbers, broken down by county, show that Massachusetts takes in more than $2.5 billion in monthly benefits from the program. The … Continue Reading
April 03, 2025
Senator Raises Alarm Over People Not Receiving Social Security
enator Elizabeth Warren has said people in Massachusetts have been marked as not receiving Social Security benefits as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigations continue at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Why It Matters Some 70 million Americans receive benefits from the SSA every month. But recent actions by DOGE, which is headed by tech billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk, have prompted warnings that benefits may be interrupted. What To … Continue Reading
April 03, 2025
Politico Massachusetts Playbook: The cost of Social Security cuts
SOCIAL INSECURITY — After launching a Social Security “war room” earlier this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running the numbers on how cuts to the financial assistance program for seniors could impact the Bay State. According to data compiled by Warren’s office and shared with Playbook, nearly 1.5 million Massachusetts residents rely on Social Security. The numbers, broken down by county, show that Massachusetts takes in more than $2.5 billion in monthly benefits from the program. The … Continue Reading
April 02, 2025
The Hill: Senate Democrats open investigation into reports AI could replace contract workers at Education Department
Senate Democrats are opening an investigation into reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is attempting to replace some contract workers at the Education Department with artificial intelligence (AI). Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon after The New York Times reported call centers that take questions from students and … Continue Reading
April 02, 2025
Social Security 'War Room' Announced To Fight Donald Trump
Democratic senators on Tuesday announced a "war room" to fight changes at the Social Security Administration (SSA). The initiative, spearheaded by Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon, is a direct response to sweeping changes imposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an administrative body created by President Donald Trump and overseen by Elon Musk. The "war room" will serve as a central effort to lobby against efforts to change Social Security, … Continue Reading
April 01, 2025
Axios: First look: Warren outlines plan for revamping MA
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and a group of Democratic senators are laying out a four-step plan to crack down on Medicare Advantage overpayments and make other changes to improve the program. Why it matters: CMS administrator nominee Mehmet Oz has supported the MA program but during his confirmation hearing criticized some insurer practices, such as categorizing patients as sicker to get higher payments. What's inside: The plan is described in a letter shared first with Axios that's signed by … Continue Reading
April 01, 2025
The Hill: Democratic senators call for investigation into assisted living facilities in Medicaid
Senate Democrats are calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a new review of how oversight is conducted over assisted living facilities that participate in Medicaid following a 2018 report that uncovered a stark lack of transparency and reporting across states. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) wrote to the GAO, asking that the office provide an update to a 2018 report in which it found that federal oversight of … Continue Reading
April 01, 2025
Social Security mayhem: A ‘war room’ to fight changes, a delayed confirmation vote and disrupted online access
Democratic senators on Tuesday announced a “war room” to fight against changes at the Social Security Administration as beneficiaries complained of website outages in accessing the agency’s online services. Led by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon, the “war room” will serve as a central effort to lobby against efforts to change Social Security, visit field offices, hold town halls, share Social Security beneficiaries’ stories and relay information on social … Continue Reading
March 31, 2025
Scoop: Senate Dems to launch Social Security war room
Senate Democrats will launch a war room Tuesday dedicated to fighting back against the Department of Government Efficiency's cuts to Social Security, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The White House is planning service cuts to Social Security that current and former officials warn would break an already strained system. The war room will serve as a central hub for Senate Democrats to plan messaging, create content, provide oversight, make field visits and host town halls to pummel the … Continue Reading
March 31, 2025
Axios: Scoop: Senate Dems to launch Social Security war room
Senate Democrats will launch a war room Tuesday dedicated to fighting back against the Department of Government Efficiency's cuts to Social Security, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The White House is planning service cuts to Social Security that current and former officials warn would break an already strained system. The war room will serve as a central hub for Senate Democrats to plan messaging, create content, provide oversight, make field visits and host town halls to pummel the … Continue Reading