MENG CALLS FOR HALTING PLANS TO GUT SOCIAL SECURITY; URGES SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICES INCLUDING THOSE IN QUEENS NOT TO BE CLOSED

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) today called for the halting of any plan that seeks to gut Social Security including the closing of Social Security offices such as those in her congressional district in Queens.

In a letter she and other Members of Congress sent to the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Congresswoman expressed concern over possible Social Security field office and hearing office closures across the country and mass firings of employees that would impact the agency’s ability to serve the public and deliver Social Security payments.

Meng’s district includes two Social Security field offices; one in Rego Park located at 63-44 Austin Street, and one in Flushing at 138-50 Barclay Avenue.

“Shuttering field offices and gutting SSA staffing has nothing to do with ‘governmental efficiency,’” the letter to Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek said. “As you know, SSA already operates with a customer service budget of under one percent of benefit payments. Staffing is at a 50-year low, despite serving a record number of beneficiaries. Years of understaffing and lack of resources have led to a customer service crisis at SSA. Closing the very field and hearing offices that beneficiaries rely on and gutting staff would only deepen the crisis, chaos, and confusion.” 

“We stand with the 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security to make ends meet, and the civil servants who work tirelessly to ensure beneficiaries receive their payments in full and on time every month. We have a clear message: devastating SSA’s ability to deliver benefits to the public is a de facto benefit cut. We urge you to halt any plans for laying off SSA employees and shuttering field or hearing offices,” the letter added. 

Last week, reports came out that the Trump Administration had imminent plans to close Social Security field offices and significantly reduce the SSA workforce.  

On Friday, 24 SSA senior staff resigned as Acting Commissioner Dudek announced plans to consolidate ten regional offices down to four and cut 7,000 workers.

In addition, Elon Musk just days ago called Social Security a Ponzi scheme.

The full text of the letter can be viewed here and below. The correspondence was led by Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and signed by 152 House Democrats. 

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Dear Acting Commissioner Dudek, 

We write with grave concern regarding recent reports of planned Social Security Administration (SSA) field office and hearing office closures, and the agency’s announcement of “significant workforce reductions.” If implemented, these actions will devastate SSA’s ability to serve the public and deliver Social Security payments, inflicting back-door benefit cuts on the American people. 

Social Security helps approximately 70 million beneficiaries -- including seniors, people with disabilities, children, and their families -- put food on the table, pay the rent, heat their homes, cover medical bills, and more. It is impossible to overstate the importance of Social Security to the American people, or the dire consequences of making it harder for beneficiaries to access their earned benefits. 

Shuttering field offices and gutting SSA staffing has nothing to do with “governmental efficiency.” As you know, SSA already operates with a customer service budget of under one percent of benefit payments. Staffing is at a 50-year low, despite serving a record number of beneficiaries. Years of understaffing and lack of resources have led to a customer service crisis at SSA. Closing the very field and hearing offices that beneficiaries rely on and gutting staff would only deepen the crisis, chaos, and confusion. If the Trump Administration is serious about efficiency in delivering benefits to the American people, it would ensure that SSA has the staff and offices needed to serve the public. 

We stand with the 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security to make ends meet, and the civil servants who work tirelessly to ensure beneficiaries receive their payments in full and on time every month. We have a clear message: devastating SSA’s ability to deliver benefits to the public is a de facto benefit cut. We urge you to halt any plans for laying off SSA employees and shuttering field or hearing offices.