Democrats call on Social Security watchdog to investigate DOGE cuts' impact

Source: The Hill

04/23/25 10:32 AM ET


Democrats are pressing the acting inspector general for Social Security for answers about how changes to the agency’s operations under the Trump administration are impacting services, while raising concerns about potential disruptions in benefits.

In a Wednesday letter to Acting Inspector General Michelle Anderson, a group of Democrats called for the watchdog to review the agency’s actions to reorganize its “organizational structure, close numerous offices, and significantly reduce its workforce to determine whether it has affected the agency’s ability to provide quality customer service.”

“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 letter stated. “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 Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) signed onto the letter, along with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.), top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Read more: https://thehill.com/business/budget/5262768-democrats-social-security-watchdog-doge-cuts/