Social Security head: I’m 'receiving decisions' from DOGE 'outsiders' that 'are made without my input'

06 March

The Trump Administration, with the help of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is targeting a wide range of federal government agencies for mass layoffs. And the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) is not escaping the Trump/DOGE cuts.

Donald Trump, during his 2024 campaign, insisted that Social Security cuts were off the table. But according to Washington Post reporters Lisa Rein, Jeff Stein and Hannah Natanson, the SSA is in a volatile state as "the agency races to slash thousands of jobs and shrink its budget."

The journalists describe a source's account of a Tuesday, March 4 meeting that included Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek, his senior staff, and around 50 legal-aid attorneys. According to the source — a participant in the meeting who spoke on condition of anonymity — Dudek described Musk's DOGE team as "outsiders who are unfamiliar with nuances of SSA programs."

Dudek, the source said, told attendees, "DOGE people are learning, and they will make mistakes. But we have to let them see what is going on at SSA. I am relying on longtime career people to inform my work, but I am receiving decisions that are made without my input. I have to effectuate those decisions."

In an article published on March 6, Rein, Stein and Natanson explain, "His remarks to skeptical advocates came on Dudek's 12th day in a role that the White House rewarded him with after he secretly shared information with DOGE, which stands for the Department of Government Efficiency. His short tenure — while President Donald Trump's nominee to permanently run the agency waits in the wings — has been consumed by a whirlwind downsizing of the staff in charge of the safety-net program used by 73 million retired and disabled Americans."

The Post reporters note that Dudek "plans to slash 7000 jobs" from the SSA and reduce staff by "more than 12 percent.

"(Dudek) has moved to close regional hubs and field offices that serve the public, eliminated entire programs and consolidated departments," according to Rein, Stein and Natanson. "An exodus of senior executives on his watch — some voluntary, others forced — is fast depleting decades of expertise. And this week, the long-struggling disability benefits system came under threat as backlogged state offices that review claims were told there would be no more overtime or hiring."

Read the full Washington Post article at this link (subscription required).

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