Congress Must Hold Hearings on SSA Mismanagement Under DOGE and Dudek

I write today in grave concern regarding the destabilizing developments within the Social Security Administration (SSA) under Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek and the broader influence of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Recent investigative reporting by ProPublica and corroborating coverage from Reuters, the Washington Post, AP, and others reveals an alarming erosion of transparency, governance, and protection of beneficiaries’ rights. Key Grounds for Concern: 1. Questionable Influence and Disruption – DOGE operatives sidelined longstanding modernization needs to pursue splashy fraud hunts, disregarding the SSA’s intricate operations and institutional expertise. 2. Threatened Shutdown – Dudek suggested blocking all SSA employees from system access, effectively halting benefits for 70 million Americans, before backtracking under judicial and public pressure. 3. Politically Motivated Policy – Dudek’s erratic cancellation and reversal of Maine’s newborn registration program, accompanied by personal attacks on elected officials, demonstrate political interference in essential services. 4. Layoffs and Service Cuts – Mass retirements, buyouts, and proposed outsourcing threaten long wait times, reduced access, and diminished service for vulnerable populations. 5. Privacy Risks and Data Mishandling – Misclassifying thousands of living immigrants as deceased and uploading sensitive SSA data to unsecured servers raise grave concerns about public trust and legal compliance. The SSA is the nation’s largest benefits-paying agency, serving over 70 million Americans. Its stability and neutrality are not optional—they are vital to the social contract itself. I respectfully demand that Congress immediately convene hearings to: • Investigate DOGE’s tactics and influence inside SSA. • Evaluate Commissioner Dudek’s leadership and decision-making. • Scrutinize SSA’s data handling, privacy, and security practices. • Assess the impact of staffing cuts and service disruptions. • Reassert the principle of impartial, nonpartisan governance of essential public institutions. Social Security represents a fundamental promise between government and people. These actions undermine that promise and demand urgent congressional oversight.