Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York sounded an alarm bell about Social Security during a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate on March 27. He urged his Republican colleagues in the Senate to join in opposing what appear to be efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shut down the Social Security system. He warned people not to be fooled by Social Security delaying by two weeks implementation of procedural changes that once in place would add to delays or prevent people from being able to receive benefits to which they’re entitled.
Schumer’s speech followed by a day a Capitol Hill news conference with other Democrats during which he called on President Trump to withdraw his nomination of Frank Bisignano to become commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Schumer said that he had known Bisignano for two decades and that Senate confirmation of him to the Social Security post “is hiring an arsonist to run the fire station.” Schumer said that in the business world Bisignano could be a person to call when a business wanted to make cuts.
Schumer followed up by issuing a document in which declared that a Social Security crisis is developing for his 4.3 million constituents in New York state who receive Social Security benefits.
“When it comes to Social Security, Trump and ‘DOGE’ (Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency) are purposely causing chaos and inefficiency to attack the program millions of New York seniors and families rely on to make ends meet,” Schumer said. “It’s appalling and they need to back off.”
Schumer said that in March, the SSA website crashed four times in 10 days, blocking millions from accessing their accounts, and seniors have had to wait more than two hours on clogged phone lines. Schumer pointed to 12% staff cuts and the announced closing of 47 Social Security offices in 18 states as evidence that the objective is to cripple the agency’s ability to function. Schumer noted that the Social Security staffing already is at its lowest level in 50 years.
“Trump and Musk, two billionaires, are trying to take a chainsaw to your Social Security benefits by closing offices, firing staff, shutting off the phone lines, and adding burdensome bureaucratic rules for seniors, people with disabilities and their families,” Schumer said. “It’s outrageous and, if they continue to cut Social Security operations to the bone, the system soon won’t be able to function.”
According to Schumer, “Already the Social Security safety net is breaking at the seams. If no one can take your call, if the website keeps crashing, if they fire the staff that process your claims, that’s a cut in benefits. New Yorkers aren’t falling for it and won’t stand for it.”
Schumer underscored that people pay into Social Security through payroll taxes and businesses pay a matching tax. He said the program is not a “Ponzi scheme” as Musk claims nor is it government waste.
Schumer said his message for Trump and Musk is simple: “Hands off New Yorkers’ Social Security.”
