Democratic Women’s Caucus Demands Trump Reinstate and Retain Employees at the Social Security Administration after Reports of Seniors Struggling to Access Benefits
Removing SSA staff harms families across the United States, and disproportionately impacts women, who are the majority of Social Security beneficiaries
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic Women’s Caucus members led by Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Vice Chairs Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Policy Task Force Co-Chairs Deborah Ross (NC-02), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) sent a letter to President Trump and Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Mr. Leland Dudek demanding that they reinstate and retain federal employees at the Social Security Administration. This comes as the Trump Administration has also ordered cuts to phone calls, already delaying and disrupting seniors’ ability to access their benefits.
Social Security is an earned benefit that is essential for the economic security of seniors, especially women who make up the majority of beneficiaries. Without enough staff to process their benefits, recipients might have to make unfathomable decisions between paying rent and utility bills and buying essentials like food. Firing Social Security staff without cause is a direct attack on women and families.
“Removing SSA staff would harm families across the United States, and disproportionately impact women, who are the majority of Social Security beneficiaries. We demand that you retain all SSA employees and do not place any SSA employees on administrative leave. Additionally, we demand you reinstate those who have already been impacted.”
The Members continued:
“You have also repeatedly remarked that you will not cut Social Security payments. Yet, you plan to fire 7,000 employees and shut down at least 48 SSA offices across the country. If there are not enough staff to administer the benefits, that is the equivalent of cutting payments. Particularly, staff is needed to issue reimbursements for 2.5 million beneficiaries based on the Social Security Fairness Act (Public Law 118-273), which President Joe Biden signed into law on January 5, 2025. Reducing staff at SSA would delay these payments for seniors and survivors, who are predominantly women.”
The full letter can be accessed here:
In addition to letter leads Teresa Leger Fernández, Emilia Strong Sykes, Hillary Scholten, Deborah K. Ross, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, the letter was signed by: Andrea Salinas, Jennifer L. McClellan, Nikema Williams, Betty McCollum, Delia C. Ramirez, Sylvia R. Garcia, Lauren Underwood, Brittany Pettersen, Frederica S. Wilson, Rashida Tlaib, Suzanne Bonamici, Sara Jacobs, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Melanie Stansbury, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Yassamin Ansari, Robin L. Kelly, Judy Chu, Julia Brownley, Lori Trahan, Doris Matsui, Veronica Escobar, Mary Gay Scanlon, Laura Friedman, and LaMonica McIver.