Democrats in the House of Representatives are urging the Social Security Administrator’s (SSA) inspector general to open an investigation into the changes being made to the agency by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Axios first reported on Thursday.
In a letter to Michelle Anderson, an assistant inspector general at the agency, from Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., the ranking minority member of the Committee on House Oversight and Government Reforms cited information from a whistleblower in the SSA that claims the sweeping changes made by DOGE are throwing the organization into chaos.
“The whistleblower information obtained by the Committee, combined with public reporting, paints a picture of chaos at SSA as DOGE is rapidly, haphazardly, and unlawfully working to implement changes that could disrupt Social Security payments and expose Americans’ sensitive data,” Connolly’s letter begins.
In March, the Washington Post reported on a litany of problems SSA began having soon after DOGE began implanting cuts, which included crashed websites that prevented millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging into their online accounts. DOGE initially cut 12% of the 57,000-person workforce leaving the forward facing customer service aspect of the agency most at risk. Critics argue DOGE was so focused on finding fraud and abuse that they neglected to consider the ripple effect massive layoffs would have on the beneficiaries.
“What’s going on is the destruction of the agency from the inside out, and it’s accelerating,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told the outlet in an interview. “I have people approaching me all the time in their 70s and 80s, and they’re beside themselves. They don’t know what’s coming.”
Connolly’s letter cited the anticipated changes DOGE plans to make which include further staff reductions and a massive overhaul to SSA IT systems. “I am providing this information to your office for immediate investigation. It is my hope that shedding sunlight on the opaque operations of DOGE at SSA will stop further damage to the agency and prevent a potentially calamitous disruption to the benefit payments that serve as a lifeline for more than 70 million Americans,” Connolly’s letter continued.
On Tuesday, former President Joe Biden addressed the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago and blasted the cuts DOGE has made to the SSA saying Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have done “so much damage” in a short period of time. “In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction,” Biden said adding, “It’s kind of breathtaking that it could happen that soon.”
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