Democrat Senators Seek Social Security Investigation Over Downsizing

The senators have sought an investigation into changes to the workforce and office plans, and whether they will affect the payment of benefits.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaking, is joined by (L-R) Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., as they accuse President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans in Congress of compromising Social Security, during a news conference, at the Capitol, in Washington on April 1, 2025. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

WASHINGTON—Five Senate Democrats have written to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), seeking an investigation into changes ordered by the Trump administration.

The actions include reducing the size of the 57,000-person workforce by 7,000 employees, closing six regional offices, and reducing the costs of information technology (IT) and contractor services.

An SSA blog statement says the changes are in line with “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 19.

The Democrat senators, in a letter to the SSA OIG, alleged that the actions “will drastically disrupt—if not reduce—Americans’ earned benefits,” and called for an investigation to determine whether they have “affected the agency’s ability to provide quality customer service.”

“These actions have already created a chilling effect among the agency’s workforce, with several senior SSA officials with centuries’ worth of institutional knowledge and experience having already left the agency,” wrote the five signatories, who were led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

“We are concerned that this hostile environment will foster burnout, low morale, higher attrition, and worse productivity among employees. Collectively, this will undoubtedly lead to disruption in benefit payments,” they alleged.

The other signatories were Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Mark Kelly (Ariz.).

The SSA stated its actions are necessary “to implement efficiencies and reduce costs, with a renewed focus on mission critical work.” Reduction of 7,000 employees will come through voluntary early retirements, separation payments in exchange for resignation, and outright resignation, according to the statement.

Dismissal of career employees at the SSA is governed by the Pendelton Act of 1883 and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which generally restricts the at-will termination of career civil service employees and requires an administrative process to remove them involuntarily.

As for office reductions, the agency has said that it previously “operated with a regional structure consisting of 10 offices, which is no longer sustainable,” and will instead have four.

For many years, the Democrats have alleged that Republicans want to reduce benefits or eliminate entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In recent weeks, many high-ranking Democratic officials—such as Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and former President Joe Biden—have accused Republicans of seeking to undermine Social Security, which the majority of Americans consider to be important, according to opinion polls.

Trump has said repeatedly that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits “won’t be touched“ by the administration’s reforms. He also said that foreign nationals who are unlawfully present in the United States will be denied benefits and that fraud is being investigated.

The SSA did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.