- United States
- Ohio
- Letter
Social Security, a program that provides vital financial support to millions of retired workers, survivors, and Americans with disabilities, is currently facing an unprecedented crisis due to the actions of the Trump administration and Elon Musk. The rapid-fire policy changes implemented by the acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, under pressure from Musk's team, have led to chaos and disruption for frontline staff and beneficiaries alike. Over 12% of the agency's 57,000 staff, including dozens of experienced officials, have been pushed out, and plans are underway to fire nearly half of the remaining workforce. This massive reduction in staffing, coupled with the closure of field offices and the elimination of offices responsible for monitoring customer experience, has severely compromised the agency's ability to serve retirees and individuals with disabilities effectively. The turmoil has resulted in website crashes, overloaded phone lines, and frontline staff being forced to answer phones due to staffing shortages. The reliability of the agency's systems is also at risk due to the loss of technical expertise. Furthermore, Musk has granted untrained political appointees unprecedented access to sensitive personal data, raising concerns about the security of Americans' information. This crisis is not due to financial insolvency, fraud, or high administrative costs – all of which are unfounded claims used as a pretext to undermine the program. The solution lies in reversing the damaging actions taken by the Trump administration and Musk. It is imperative to add back the staff that has been fired, increase staffing levels to meet the growing demands, and prevent further interference from Musk and his associates. I urge you to take immediate action to save Social Security by advocating for the restoration and expansion of the agency's workforce, as well as measures to protect the program from further attacks by the current administration and its allies. The financial security and well-being of millions of Americans depend on your decisive action to safeguard this vital program.
