WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — A handful of leading U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday asked the Social Security Administration’s acting inspector general to examine how reductions in staff, closing some regional offices and other changes implemented by the Trump administration have impacted the safety net program.
“These actions have already created a chilling effect among the agency’s workforce, with several senior SSA officials with centuries’ worth of institutional knowledge and experience having already left the agency,” the five senators wrote in a letter. “We are concerned that this hostile environment will foster burnout, low morale, higher attrition, and worse productivity among employees.
“Collectively, this will undoubtedly lead to disruption in benefit payments and increasing barriers for Americans to access their Social Security benefits.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Special Committee on Aging ranking member Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., signed the letter.
They requested the office look into how the changes have impacted customer service throughout the agency, the speed of disability appeals hearings and how quickly employees can process clearances, among other requests.
The senators asked the acting inspector general to share quarterly updates on the effects “of the agency reorganization and any future workforce reductions” on customer service.
The Social Security Administration’s office of the inspector general didn’t immediately respond to a request from States Newsroom about whether the independent watchdog would respond to the letter.
Staff cuts
The Trump administration released a plan earlier this year to reduce the Social Security Administration’s workforce from 57,000 to 50,000 and close six of its ten regional offices.
The Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner also announced that the agency would reduce its budget by $800 million during the current fiscal year through freezing SSA and Disability Determination Services hiring and “drastically” reducing overtime within that division, canceling Information Technology Systems contracts and closing down office space.
U.S. DOGE Service, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has been spearheading efforts within the Trump administration to cut spending and restructure the executive branch.
Musk, however, plans to shift his attention back toward his businesses starting in May after watching Tesla’s stock drop more than 40% this year, according to news reports.
Nominee pledges to reduce wait times
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the SSA, Frank Bisignano, hasn’t yet received Senate confirmation but did pledge during his hearing in March that if approved, he would ensure beneficiaries have the option to visit an office, use the website, or speak to a real person after calling the 1-800 number.
“On the phone, I’m committed to reducing wait times and providing beneficiaries with a better experience; waiting 20 minutes-plus to get an answer will be of yesteryear,” Bisignano said at the time. “I also believe we can significantly improve the length of the disability claim process.”
The Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines earlier this month to send Bisignano’s nomination to the floor, though GOP leaders haven’t scheduled a vote.
Democrats have criticized the Trump administration’s actions toward the Social Security Administration for months, arguing that staff cuts and proposed changes to how the agency operates could cause significant issues for recipients.
Former President Joe Biden made changes to the Social Security Administration the subject of his first public address after leaving office, urging the Trump administration to reverse course.
“Social Security is about more than retirement accounts. It’s about honoring a fundamental trust between government and people,” Biden said during the Chicago appearance. “It’s about peace of mind for those who work their whole lives, so they can rest assured they’ll have a chance to get back some of what they earned and what they deserve.”
