Senate Finance Democrats Demand Hearing to Investigate Trump-Musk Attacks on Social Security
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and every Democratic member of the committee urged Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to immediately convene a hearing to investigate the alarming developments at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in light of Elon Musk’s DOGE demanding full access to Americans’ most sensitive information and planning massive layoffs and office closures that could disrupt service and benefits.
When nearly every American engages with Social Security at pivotal moments in their life such as birth, marriage, and retirement, access to in-person services is critical, especially for people who struggle with speaking by phone, lack reliable internet access, or cannot understand the program’s rules. DOGE’s disruptions to Social Security, including steps that prevent Americans from accessing their earned benefits, will threaten working families’ financial security. The recently-ousted chief of staff swore under oath that DOGE’s disregard for agency practices could result in “benefits not being paid out or delays in payments.”
In their letter to Crapo, the senators highlighted, “At a time when the agency’s workforce is at a 50-year low, the potential loss of centuries’ worth of agency experience will risk worsening backlogs, longer wait times, and interruption of benefit payments. When combined with SSA providing inexperienced individuals unfettered access to the agency’s sensitive systems, there is a profound risk of causing irreparable harm to the agency’s systems and Americans’ financial security.”
The senators also underscored that “Failure to investigate these actions is an abdication of our oversight responsibility and a disservice to our constituents who sent us to Congress. We stand ready to work with you to ensure Americans’ information remain secure and are able to access their earned benefits that they have paid into with every paycheck.”
Wyden has been actively condemning the work of DOGE since its emergence. In February, 2025, Wyden wrote to stop the DOGE-appointed acting head of the SSA regarding DOGE gaining access to Americans’ most sensitive personal information. In February, 2025, Wyden issued a statement condemning the work of Trump’s mass firing of the Social Security workforce. The same month Wyden also made a statement to Secretary Bessent demanding that he come clean about the “read only” policy and Musk’s infiltration of treasury payment systems.
The full letter can be found here. Every Senate Finance Committee Democrat signed the letter.
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