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Indybay Feature

Social Security Administration is being obliterated

by Lynda Carson (newzland2 [at] gmail.com)
Social Security Is Under Attack:
Social Security Is Under Attack:

Social Security Administration is being obliterated

March 4, 2025

By Lynda Carson

The brutal horrific assault on the Social Security Administration by the demented convicted felon President Trump, and his Neo-Nazi henchman Elon Musk, is having catastrophic consequences locally, and all across the country at this moment. Social Security federal employees are facing lay offs, and being pressured to quit their jobs or retire, while Social Security offices are rapidly being shut down all across the nation recently.

While attacking social security and obliterating it, Musk has been demonizing the program by falsely claiming that social security is the biggest ponzi scheme of all time. Senators Bernie Sanders, Patty Murray, Chuck Schumer and others have been denouncing Musk for his actions, while defending social security.

Social Security System May Collapse and Interruption of Benefits May Occur Soon:

Reportedly on Monday, March 3, 2025, according to Martin O’Malley; “Martin O’Malley, the former commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), said Monday the recent cuts made by tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at the agency could result in the “collapse” of the Social Security system “within the next 30 to 90 days.”

O’Malley, a Democrat who also served as Maryland governor from 2007-15, told CNBC the recent DOGE initiatives may jeopardize monthly benefit payments for over 72.5 million Americans.

He warned the current administration’s attempts to reduce the workforce will lead to the departure of vital staff and threaten the agency’s fundamental operations.

“Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits,” he said. “I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”

Warning of these interruptions, O’Malley said, “people should start saving now.”

O’Malley held the position of Social Security commissioner from December 2023 to November 2024 under the Biden administration.”

Just try to imagine your mother or father, your grandparents, brothers or sisters, and aunt’s or uncles who may be chronically ill, or perhaps fighting cancer or another disease, or having dementia while residing in a nursing home or so-called “old folks home,” while depending on their social security benefits as a lifeline to survive on. Meanwhile the social security system that they depend on to survive, is being obliterated presently by the convicted felon President Trump, and his evil henchman Elon Musk.

Additionally as another example of problems that may occur with the social security administration presently. There are over 2 million households nationwide with Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 contracts. At times the section 8 voucher tenants need to renew their contracts with their local Public Housing Authority, or landlord if they reside in a project owned by a nonprofit housing developer. The section 8 tenants who may be on a fixed income are given very little time to get their income verification documentation from the social security administration to verify their income. They are at risk of losing their subsidized housing if they do not meet the strict deadline to have the documentation they need to verify their income, to recertify their contracts. The attack on social security will make it much more difficult for section 8 tenants on a fixed income to get the documentation they need to recertify their contracts, placing them at a great risk of losing their housing.

March 3, 2025 press release from the office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray

In part the press release states, “U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations, joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in blasting President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to gut the Social Security Administration (SSA) and make it harder for Americans who’ve paid into Social Security their whole lives to get the benefits they have earned.

The Trump administration’s plans to gut the Social Security Administration come as Elon Musk calls Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”

Last Thursday, the Social Security Administration announced it will “soon implement agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions.” Reports indicate SSA may eliminate up to 50% of its workforce in what the agency calls “massive reorganizations,” which agencies were directed to draw up plans for in a recent Executive Order. SSA has now offered all employees incentives to leave the agency, and Trump’s acting SSA commissioner has boasted of firing employees. 90% of SSA staff work across the country outside of the agency’s headquarters. SSA staff who are not providing direct service support perform critical work that keeps the agency and Social Security system operational, including supporting SSA’s IT infrastructure.



SSA staff ensure 73 million Americans get their Social Security benefits each month–which is more beneficiaries than ever before. They do so even though SSA’s 57,000 staff level is already at the lowest level in 50 years. Customer service at SSA has long suffered from historically low staffing levels and inadequate discretionary funding, which Democrats have pushed to increase each year while congressional Republicans push to cut non-defense funding.”

Meanwhile, reportedly many social security offices are rapidly being shutdown and closed all across the nation.

According to a report with Money Digest, in part it states, “A glut of cuts have taken already place across the country. Alabama has been hit especially hard, which officials are calling "devastating." Offices in Anniston, Cullman, Gadsden, and Jasper, Alabama are already confirmed to have closed. Five Georgia offices are set for closure in Brunswick, Columbus, Gainesville, Thomasville, and Vidalia. The Grenada, Greenwood, and Meridian, Mississippi SSA offices are also scheduled to close. The Franklin, North Carolina office has been closed, while the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina is scheduled to close, along with the Greenwood, South Carolina office. The Nashville, Tennessee, Rockford, Illinois, and Melbourne, Florida offices have all also been closed.

The Columbus, Ohio office moved to a different federal space, although many of the city's federal buildings are currently in DOGE's sights. Meanwhile, service reductions are planned for the Poughkeepsie and White Plains, New York offices, which has been met with backlash by local officials. DOGE also lists a variety of Arkansas offices as "agency approved lease termination" targets: Forrest City, Jonesboro, and Texarkana. Similar language is used on the DOGE site to describe SSA offices in Houma, Louisiana, Elizabeth City and Greenville, North Carolina, Lawton, Oklahoma, Abilene, Texas and Victoria, Texas. The Nacogdoches, Texas office is closing, however local news outlets say that has less to do with DOGE and more to do with a planned move spanning 15 years.

Per the DOGE website, the following Social Security office closures are currently being negotiated: Grand Junction, Colorado; Kalispell and Missoula, Montana; Minot, North Dakota; Rock Springs, Wyoming; and Horseheads, New York.”

Prelude to Privatization of Social Security:

In another March 3, 2025, article, in part it states, “The Social Security Administration in recent days has initiated a flurry of actions aimed at decimating its workforce and that Democrats warn are an effort to sabotage the agency and prepare to privatize its functions.

After a rash of abrupt retirements of senior leaders across the agency last week, the agency on Friday confirmed that it is seeking to shed 7,000 employees, which would bring its workforce down to 50,000 people. Last fall, the agency hit a 50-year staffing low after congressional Republicans refused to agree to append the agency’s funding to account for fixed cost increases as part of a continuing resolution to keep agencies open.”

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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Update: Leland Dudek, SSA Acting Commissioner, an Elon Musk puppet

By Lynda Carson

Leland Dudek, the notorious Social Security Administration acting commissioner, formerly of Hyattsville, MD, reportedly "previously worked in the Social Security's anti-fraud office as a management analyst and advisor, but he was put on administrative leave after he broke the agency chain of command to cooperate with DOGE. He was also suspected of violating agency protocols and ethical standards of conduct.

Although he has been appointed as Acting Commissioner, Dudek admitted that DOGE is calling most of the shots at SSA, admitting that “decisions are made without my input and I have to effectuate those decisions. 

In direct response to unfavorable coverage of the Washington Post story, Dudek banned access to news sites on SSA staff computers.

In his first major act, Dudek closed the entire Deputy Commissioner level component he previously worked at, and moved the executives who previously suspended him. This move reassigned thousands of SSA employees and resulted in the demotion and reassignment of those investigating Dudek’s alleged actions. SSA’s internal council suspected that Dudek had violated the strict information disclosure laws SSA uses to protect individuals information."

See more information below, including some links to more info...

Lynda Carson

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SSA Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/22/politics/leland-dudek-acting-social-security-head-doge/index.html

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Leland Dudek

It appears that Leland Dudek sold his home on March 3, 2025 shortly after he became the SSA Acting Commissioner

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Hyattsville/3106-Madison-Pl-20782/home/10955042

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Leland Dudek, formerly of;
3106 Madison PL
Hyattsville, MD 20782-3155

Former Management Analyst
Social Security Administration

Click below...

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Leland+Dudek

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Leland Dudek, wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Dudek

"Leland "Lee" Dudek is the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, appointed after Michelle King resigned. He was previously a senior advisor in SSA's Office of Program Integrity.

He was described by the Washington Post as "an IT expert with a zeal for eliminating fraud". He had previously worked in the Social Security's anti-fraud office as a management analyst and advisor, but he was put on administrative leave after he broke the agency chain of command to cooperate with DOGE. He was also suspected of violating agency protocols and ethical standards of conduct.

Although he has been appointed as Acting Commissioner, Dudek admitted that DOGE is calling most of the shots at SSA, admitting that “decisions are made without my input and I have to effectuate those decisions” 

In direct response to unfavorable coverage of the Washington Post story, Dudek banned access to news sites on SSA staff computers.
 
Elon Musk and President Trump alleged that SSA is currently paying tens of millions of deceased individuals, including some who would be over 150 years old were they still alive. Musk's evidence is that SSA has not recorded their deaths, although, as the New York Times pointed out, this does not mean that SSA is sending money to them. There are no more than 90,000 centenarians (people over 100 years old) who are receiving SSA checks (according to the SSA itself), and this aligns with the number of living centenarians in the country (according to the U:S. Census Bureau). Nonetheless, President Trump repeated Musk's allegation in a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025.

In his first major act, Dudek closed the entire Deputy Commissioner level component he previously worked at, and moved the executives who previously suspended him. This move reassigned thousands of SSA employees and resulted in the demotion and reassignment of those investigating Dudek’s alleged actions. SSA’s internal council suspected that Dudek had violated the strict information disclosure laws SSA uses to protect individuals information.

On February 24, 2025 Dudek emailed Social Security Administration employees informing them he had fired 14 of their coworkers (representing .0002 of the Social Security workforce of 60,000 employees) and they should be proud.

As acting commissioner, Dudek will head up the SSA until Frank Bisignano, President Trump's nomination, is confirmed.

On March 6, SSA terminated two contracts with Maine’s vital statistics program, thereby canceling an SSA program called "enumeration at birth" that allows Maine parents to check a box on a hospital form to request a Social Security number for their baby. A Maine Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson explained in an email that, "effective immediately ... parents will now need to visit their local Social Security office to apply in-person for their child’s Social Security Number". The next day, Dudek issued a press release apologizing for the "undue burden on the people of Maine, which was not the intent" and announcing that he was reinstating the contracts to support the enumeration at birth program."

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March 25, 2025, Letter from Senate to Leland Dudek, Acting Commissioner, Social Security Administration

bennet-wyden-schumer-murray-colleagues-press-trump-administration-to-address-consequences-of-social-security-workforce-layoffs

https://www.bennet.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/030625_letter_to_ssa_acting_commissioner_re.staffingreductions.pdf

https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2025/03/07/bennet-wyden-schumer-murray-colleagues-press-trump-administration-to-address-consequences-of-social-security-workforce-layoffs/

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(Social Security Works)
Elon Musk is Dismantling Social Security

https://socialsecurityworks.org/2025/03/03/elon-musk-is-dismantling-social-security/

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how-social-security-cuts-could-put-millions-of-older-americans-at-risk

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-social-security-cuts-could-put-millions-of-older-americans-at-risk

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Google news wire - SSA

https://news.google.com/search?q=social%20security%20administration&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

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