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NonilexThat’s when <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> — plucked from a midlevel job only 6 weeks earlier to run <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> because of his willingness to cooperate w/ Musk’s <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> — got an angry call from the White House, according to several people familiar w/the exchange.“The number is 40%,” insisted Katie Miller, a top admin aide [<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/StephenMiller" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#StephenMiller</a>’s wife] who was working closely w/ <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Musk</a>, acc/to one of the people familiar w/the April 1 call. <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> believed Musk, she said. “Do not contradict the president.”<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#law</a>

Led By FoolsDOGE’s Social Security plan is the opposite of efficiencyHere is more evidence that the ruling class doesn't think that there's a need for a functioning government anymore <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/16/doge-social-security-musk-trump-cuts/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/16/doge-social-security-musk-trump-cuts/</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Efficiency" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Efficiency</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Musk</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FrankBisignano" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FrankBisignano</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AI</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/nihilism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nihilism</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/incompetence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#incompetence</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/corruption" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#corruption</a>

NonilexIt eventually helped lead to the physical removal last week of a top career executive, who had been warned he would be fired if he kept refusing to let <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> into <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a>’s systems.At the same time, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> *mistakenly* let one of the DOGE reps into a <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSA</a> database last week, violating the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/CourtOrder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CourtOrder</a>…. That error led a federal judge to summon Dudek for a hearing Tues…, but the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> admin said in a filing late Monday that he would no longer appear.<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#law</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/InfoSec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#InfoSec</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#judiciary</a>

NonilexThe battle inside the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSA</a> led the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOJ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOJ</a> to intervene to deny <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> access to the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/data" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#data</a>, even as the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> admin installed & promoted DOGE-friendly leaders to dramatically cut back services at <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a>. It involved staff, from rank-&-file employees to senior leaders, including acting commissioner <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a>, who was appointed to his position after displaying public loyalty to DOGE.<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#law</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Musk</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/privacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#privacy</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/InfoSec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#InfoSec</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/NationalSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NationalSecurity</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#judiciary</a>

NonilexWell, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> is now just regularly ignoring court orders. On Friday, Judge Hollander asked <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> Administration Commissioner <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> to appear at a hearing on April 15, tomorrow.Tonight, the Trump admin says it will decline to make him available.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.138.0.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.138.0.pdf</a><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#law</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#judiciary</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SeparationOfPowers</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AbuseOfPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AbuseOfPower</a>

Nonilex<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> — the acting commissioner who was elevated from a low-level position after displaying public loyalty to <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> — had qualms about the task, acc/to 2 people with knowledge of his thinking. He thought it was illegal, the people said.  Then <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DHS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DHS</a> Secy <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/KristiNoem" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#KristiNoem</a> intervened — & Dudek agreed to move forward.On Monday, acc/to 4 people familiar with the matter, Dudek signed 2 memorandums with Noem allowing the database action.…<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#law</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/immigration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#immigration</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/labor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#labor</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Musk</a>

Democracy Matters :verified:Because Americans would have beaten his ass.Trump's Social Security chief backs down from 'shutting down' agency <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-social-security-chief-backs-down-shutting-down-agency-2025-03-22/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-social-security-chief-backs-down-shutting-down-agency-2025-03-22/</a><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/POS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#POS</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SSI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSI</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USPol</a>

MrWtr0102🧵 4/Table of <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> members.(16 - 20) (of 68)From <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/Wikipedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wikipedia</a>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Government_Efficiency#DOGE_members" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Government_Efficiency#DOGE_members</a>16) <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/StephenDuarte" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#StephenDuarte</a>, Expert (HR), <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/OPM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#OPM</a>17) <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a>, Acting Commissioner, <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSA</a>18) <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/StephenEhikian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#StephenEhikian</a>, Acting Administrator, <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/GSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GSA</a>19) <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/MarkoElez" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MarkoElez</a>, Expert (coding), <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/USDT" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USDT</a>20) <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/LukeFarritor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LukeFarritor</a>, Executive Engineer in the Office of the Secretary, <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/HHS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HHS</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.sdf.org/tags/DOS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DOS</a>

Sky DancingWednesday Reads: Social Security, Measles, and Government ShutdownGood Afternoon!! <a href="https://skydancingblog.com/fool-on-the-hill-dave-lebow/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Fool on the Hill, by Dave LeBow I have a nasty cold, so I don’t know how much I can do today. As always, everything is endlessly crazy. Trump is causing chaos with his on-again, off-again tariffs, but I’m not going to deal with that today. I want to begin with the latest on Social Security. There is quite a bit of news on it today. Next, news on the spreading Measles outbreak and then the possible government shutdown.Social Security NewsProPublica got ahold of a recording of the acting director of the Social Security Administration: <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/recording-reveals-leland-dudek-thoughts-trump-doge-social-security" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">“The President Wanted It and I Did It”: Recording Reveals Head of Social Security’s Thoughts on DOGE and Trump.</a><blockquote>Since the arrival of a team from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Social Security is in a far more precarious place than has been widely understood, according to Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration. “I don’t want the system to collapse,” Dudek said in a closed-door meeting last week, according to a recording obtained by ProPublica. He also said that it “would be catastrophic for the people in our country” if DOGE were to make changes at his agency that were as sweeping as <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doge-rubio-usaid-musk-death-toll-malaria-polio-tuberculosis" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">those at USAID</a>, the Treasury Department and elsewhere.Dudek’s comments, delivered to a group of senior staff and Social Security advocates attending both in person and virtually, offer an extraordinary window into the thinking of a top agency official in the volatile early days of the second Trump administration. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/06/doge-is-driving-social-security-cuts-will-make-mistakes-acting-head-says-privately/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Washington Post first reported</a> Dudek’s acknowledgement that DOGE is calling the shots at Social Security and quoted several of his statements. But the full recording reveals that he went much further, citing not only the actions being taken at the agency by the people he repeatedly called “the DOGE kids,” but also extensive input he has received from the White House itself. When a participant in the meeting asked him why he wouldn’t more forcefully call out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">continued false claims about widespread Social Security fraud</a> as “BS,” Dudek answered, “So we published, for the record, what was actually the numbers there on our website. This is dealing with — have you ever worked with someone who’s manic-depressive?”Throughout the meeting, Dudek made alarming statements about the perils facing the Social Security system, but he did so in an oddly informal, discursive manner. It left several participants baffled as to the ultimate fate of the nation’s largest and most popular social program, one that serves 73 million Americans. “Are we going to break something?” Dudek asked at one point, referring to what DOGE has been doing with Social Security data. “I don’t know.”But then he said, in a more reassuring tone: “They’re learning. Let people learn. They’re going to make mistakes.”Dudek embodies the dramatic whipsawing of life as a public servant under DOGE. For 25 years, he was the ultimate faceless bureaucrat: a midlevel analyst who had bounced between federal agencies, ultimately landing at the Social Security Administration and focusing on information technology, cybersecurity and fraud prevention. He was largely unknown even within the agency. But in February, he suddenly vaulted into the public eye when he was put on leave for surreptitiously sharing information with DOGE. It appeared that he might lose his job, but then he was unexpectedly promoted by the Trump administration to the position of acting commissioner. At the time, he seemed unreservedly committed to the DOGE agenda, writing — then deleting — a bellicose LinkedIn post in which he expressed pride in having “bullied agency executives, shared executive contact information, and circumvented the chain of command to connect DOGE with the people who get stuff done.”Now, only weeks into his tenure, he was taking a far more ambivalent posture toward not just DOGE but Trump. On multiple occasions during last week’s meeting, according to the recording, Dudek framed the choices that he has been making in recent weeks as “the president’s” agenda. These choices have included planned cuts of at least 7,000 Social Security employees; buyouts and early retirement offered to the entire staff of 57,000, including those who work in <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-social-security-elon-musk-trump-closures-benefits" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">field offices and teleservice centers helping elderly and disabled people navigate the program</a>; cuts to <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/disability/determination.htm" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">disability determination services</a>; the dissolution of a team that had been working to improve the user experience of <a href="https://ssa.gov/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the ssa.gov website</a> and application process; a reduction of the agency’s footprint across the country from 10 regional offices to four; the terminations of 64 leases, including those for some field office and hearing office space; proposals to outsource Social Security customer service; and more.“I work for the president. I need to do what the president tells me to do,” Dudek said, according to the recording. “I’ve had to make some tough choices, choices I didn’t agree with, but the president wanted it and I did it,” he added later. (He didn’t name specific actions that Trump did or did not direct.)</blockquote>Center for American Progress: <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/cuts-to-the-social-security-administration-threaten-millions-of-americans-retirement-and-disability-benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cuts to the Social Security Administration Threaten Millions of Americans’ Retirement and Disability Benefits.</a> <blockquote>In January 2025, <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">73 million people</a>—more than 1 in 5 Americans—received benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). But the agency that gets those benefits into bank accounts to buy groceries and pay bills is now <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/06/doge-is-driving-social-security-cuts-will-make-mistakes-acting-head-says-privately/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">under attack</a>, putting beneficiaries at risk of dangerous disruptions and delays. Recently, the SSA announced that it would cut <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/business/social-security-administration-job-cuts.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">approximately 7,000 jobs</a>—a 12 percent reduction in the agency’s staffing. At the same time, the SSA is shutting down <a href="https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-announces-workforce-and-organization-plans/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">six of its 10 regional offices</a>, while <a href="https://doge.gov/savings" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">posts to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website</a> <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-social-security-office-closings-after-doge-cuts-2035533" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">spark fears</a> of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">upcoming field office closures</a> around the country.These assaults on the SSA threaten Americans’ ability to access the benefits they rely on to get by.The Social Security Administration has been <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/blog/social-security-administration-needs-additional-funding-to-avoid-exacerbating-customer-service" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">doing more with less</a> for years, providing benefits to a <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/testimony_032124.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">rapidly growing number of beneficiaries</a> despite its shrinking staff. Under congressional restrictions on administrative spending, agency capacity has stretched to the breaking point, with staff levels approaching <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/testimony_032124.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a 25-year low</a> in fiscal year 2024. Under these conditions, former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5173332-social-security-cuts-risk-collapse/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">warned</a> that DOGE-led cuts to an already skeletal agency may lead to “system collapse and an interruption of benefits.”Any delay or interruption in payments would be catastrophic. More than 7 million Americans 65 and older receive <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/basicfact-alt.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">at least 90 percent of their income</a> from Social Security.* For many of these seniors, even a few days’ delay in receiving Social Security benefits would pose an immediate threat to their ability to pay rent and buy food. Payments made even later, or missed, would irreparably harm many more: In a <a href="https://www.nasi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NASI_SocialSecurityat90.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">January 2025 survey</a>, 42 percent of Americans 65 and older reported “I would not be able to afford the basics, such as food, clothing, or housing [without Social Security retirement benefits].”Disabled people and their families, likewise, would face dire straits. <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">More than 11 million</a> disabled Americans under the age of 65 rely on benefits administered by the SSA through either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both. Most SSDI recipients <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-dehumanizing-administrative-burdens-harm-disabled-people/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">can’t work due to their disability</a>, while others work limited hours and can only earn very limited amounts without forfeiting their benefits. For SSI claimants, even when they are able to work, they can only <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-dehumanizing-administrative-burdens-harm-disabled-people/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">hold a few thousand dollars in gross assets</a> without losing their benefits, subject to limited exceptions, making it essentially impossible to save. As a result, too many SSDI and SSI recipients are one missed or late payment away from not making rent or putting food on the table.</blockquote>There is much more information at the CAP link.<a href="https://skydancingblog.com/06ca908d5c58476b19d1f05ab9187e68/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Nathaniel Weixel at The Hill: <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5189448-trump-musk-social-security-fraud/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trump, Musk fuel fears of Social Security cuts with ‘fraud’ talk</a>.<blockquote>President Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk are ratcheting up false rhetoric about Social Security, repeatedly claiming the program wastes hundreds of billions of dollars in fraudulent payouts that need to be eliminated.Their position is confounding experts and worrying advocates, who fear the claims are a pretext for massive cuts to the program down the road.Trump, Musk and the administration’s allies insist they are targeting waste, fraud and abuse and are <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5188082-white-house-donald-trump-social-security-medicare-cuts/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">not going after benefits as a whole</a>.In an interview Monday with <a class="" href="https://thehill.com/people/larry-kudlow/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Larry Kudlow,</a> who served as Trump’s chief economic adviser in his first term, Musk suggested Social Security and other entitlement programs are rife with fraud and a prime target for cuts.“Most of the federal spending is entitlements. So that’s the big one to eliminate,” Musk said on Kudlow’s Fox Business show, adding there’s possibly $500 billion to $700 billion in potential cuts there.Musk also said they’re trying to put a stop to “stolen” and “fake” Social Security numbers.</blockquote>What’s their evidence for this fraud and waste?<blockquote>Economists say the levels of fraud talked about by Trump and Musk just don’t exist.A report by the Social Security Administration’s inspector general last year found the agency made nearly $72 billion in improper payments from fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2022 — less than 1 percent of benefits paid out during that period.“I’m a firm believer in the perpetual inefficiency of government. But if I had to pick one place in the federal government that is more efficient than most, Social Security would be one of them,” said Chuck Blahous, a senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a former top economic adviser in the George W. Bush administration.Representatives from DOGE have reportedly gained access to sensitive taxpayer data collected by the Social Security Administration (SSA).According to a <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5186301-social-security-official-data-concerns/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">declaration in a federal lawsuit</a> from Tiffany Flick, the SSA’s former acting chief of staff, DOGE staffers seemed to want the data to search for evidence of alleged benefits fraud.Flick wrote that she thought the DOGE team’s concerns were “invalid and based on an inaccurate understanding of SSA’s data and programs.”</blockquote>Musk also claims that “illegal” immigrants are getting Social Security benefits. Of course, that’s impossible, since these people can’t get Social Security numbers.One more on Social Security from CNBC: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/12/senators-warn-trump-social-security-nominee-of-consequences-of-staff-cuts.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Senators to Trump Social Security nominee: ‘You will be responsible’ if benefits are interrupted.</a><blockquote>Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon are warning Frank Bisignano, the nominee to lead the Social Security Administration, that he will be responsible if <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/03/social-security-plans-to-cut-about-7000-workers-that-may-affect-benefits.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">staff cuts</a> interfere with the agency’s ability to process and disburse benefit checks.President <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> has nominated Bisignano, chief executive of payments and financial technology company <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/05/fiserv-fi-q4-2024-earnings-report.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fiserv</a>, to serve as commissioner of the agency, which is responsible for sending monthly benefit payments to more than 72 million Americans.“As President Trump’s nominee for SSA Commissioner, you will be responsible if the Trump Administration’s attacks on the program result in failures or delays in getting Americans their Social Security checks — in other words, a backdoor cut to benefits,” Warren and Wyden wrote in a <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/warren_wyden_letter_re_ssa_layoffs.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">March 11 letter</a> to Bisignano, shared exclusively with CNBC.Bisignano’s Senate confirmation hearing is expected to take place later this month, according to a source familiar with the situation.In the interim, the agency is under the leadership of acting commissioner Lee Dudek, who according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/social-security-commissioner-leland-dudek-doge-343d3f5e" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reports</a> publicly stated before his appointment that he had been put on administrative leave after helping representatives of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Dudek replaced former acting commissioner Michelle King, who <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/top-social-security-official-steps-disagreement-doge-sensitive-data-rcna192530" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">stepped down</a> following reported disagreements with DOGE over access to sensitive data.</blockquote>The Measles OutbreakMeasles is spreading around the country, and RFK Jr. isn’t dealing with what’s happening.<a href="https://skydancingblog.com/gettyimages-2152300024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/12/measles-suffolk-county-new-york-los-angeles-lax/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas measles outbreak grows, while New York and California report new cases.</a> <blockquote>Los Angeles County in California, Suffolk County in New York and Howard County in Maryland detected their first confirmed cases of measles this year, while Oklahoma reported two possible cases, local health authorities said this week.The spread of the highly infectious disease comes as an outbreak of more than 200 cases has continued to grow in Texas, and as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/han/2025/han00522.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">warned</a> health-care workers and potential travelers to “be vigilant” ahead of spring and summer travel.Health officials in Los Angeles County — the most populous county in the United States —<a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4982" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> reported</a> a case Tuesday in a resident who may have been exposed onboard a China Airlines flight that landed at Los Angeles International Airport on March 5.The New York state health department <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2025/2025-03-11_measles.htm" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">announced</a> on Tuesday its first known case of measles outside New York City this year. The patient, who under 5 years old, lives in Suffolk County on Long Island. In Howard County, just west of Baltimore, health authorities on Sunday <a class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/03/09/measles-maryland-howard-dulles/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reported</a> a confirmed case in a resident who recently traveled abroad and was at Washington Dulles International Airport on March 5. Two individuals in Oklahoma reported symptoms consistent with measles and had potential exposure to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, the Oklahoma Health Department <a href="https://oklahoma.gov/health/news---events/newsroom/2025/first-cases-of-measles-in-oklahoma-reported.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">said</a> Tuesday. It praised the individuals for “immediately excluding themselves from public settings.” [….]In Canada, at least 146 confirmed cases have been detected this year up to March 6, along with 22 probable cases. </blockquote> CBS News: <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/measles-philadelphia-exposure-chop-health-department/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Philadelphia officials warn of possible exposure to highly infectious measles.</a> <blockquote> Health officials in Philadelphia are warning residents of potential exposures to the highly infectious <a href="https://www.phila.gov/2025-03-06-the-latest-on-the-montgomery-county-measles-case-and-how-to-protect-yourself/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">measles virus</a> at multiple health facilities in the city over the past week. </blockquote> <blockquote>The person exposed to the virus was present at the following locations in the city at these times, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health:<ul><li>The South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center, 1700 South Broad Street. The building includes the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Pediatric Primary Care unit in South Philadelphia, the health department’s Health Center No. 2 and the South Philadelphia library, but no one in the library is at risk.</li><li>The person was in the building on Friday, March 7, between 10:45 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. The next day on March 8, the person was there between 9:05 a.m. and 1:20 p.m.</li><li>The CHOP Emergency room at 3401 Civic Center Boulevard on Monday, March 10 between 7:55 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.</li></ul>The person was exposed to measles while traveling abroad and officials do not believe it is connected to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/measles-investigation-montgomery-county-pennsylvania/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a recent case that occurred in Montgomery County.</a></blockquote>ABC Los Angeles: .<a href="https://abc7.com/post/first-measles-case-la-resident-2025-confirmed-person-traveled-lax-health-officials-say/16008684/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Measles case confirmed in LA County resident who visited many local businesses, traveled through LAX.</a><blockquote>A case of <a class="" href="https://abc7.com/tag/measles/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">measles </a>has been confirmed in a Los Angeles County resident who recently traveled through the Los Angeles International airport, the county’s Department of Public Health announced in a statement Tuesday.It is the first confirmed case of measles in a LA County resident in 2025, according to the department.Passengers assigned to specific seats that may have been exposed on China Airlines flight CAL8/ CI8 that arrived in Los Angeles on March 5 will be notified by local departments of health in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control.Additionally, individuals who were at the following locations on the specified dates and times may be at risk of developing measles due to exposure to this individual:</blockquote><blockquote>  —  Wednesday, March 5 between 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.: Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) at the Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport</blockquote><blockquote>  —  Friday, March 7, between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Cloud 9 Nail Salon, 5142 N. Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601</blockquote><blockquote> —  Monday, March 10 between 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Superior Grocery Store, 10683 Valley Blvd., El Monte, CA 91731</blockquote> So what is the head of Health and Human Services doing?<a href="https://skydancingblog.com/8dd2853c1798cd218d4e3343b6ac1db4/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>The Daily Beast: <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/rfk-jr-it-would-be-better-if-everybody-got-measles/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RFK Jr.: It Would Be Better if ‘Everybody Got Measles.’</a><blockquote>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to suggest getting measles is the best defense against the disease, as a Texas outbreak spreads across the U.S.More than 220 people in the state have been diagnosed with the infectious virus, and California, New York, and Maryland have also reported cases of late. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sweating over the outbreak, warning health-care workers and travelers to “be vigilant.”While RFK Jr. recently shifted his stance to concede that vaccinations are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c99n18zlzg3o" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">actually pretty useful</a>, he has still stopped short of urging skeptics to go and get it. And in an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6369907937112" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity</a> that aired Tuesday night, he appeared to still favor natural immunity through exposure to the virus.“It used to be, when I were a kid, that everybody got measles. And the measles gave you lifetime protection against measles infection,” he said, then taking a swipe at the vaccine. “The vaccine doesn’t do that. The vaccine is effective for some people for life, but for many people it wanes.”In Texas, uptake of the vaccine is lower than in other states, partly fueled by COVID skepticism. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine offers 93 percent protection against measles if the recipient has one dose, and 97 percent after two doses, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fvpd%2Fmmr%2Fpublic%2Findex.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to the CDC.</a></blockquote><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/rfk-jr-makes-more-alarming-122346777.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">HuffPost via Yahoo News:</a> RFK Jr. Makes More Alarming Comments About Measles Amid U.S. Outbreaks.<blockquote>In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity broadcast Tuesday, Kennedy said “natural immunity” after getting a measles infection is more effective at providing lasting protection against the disease. However, Kennedy left out that the dangers of catching the disease outweigh the advantage of immunity, <a class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/health/measles-texas-kennedy-fox.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">according to doctors</a>….Despite Kennedy’s claims, the <a class="" href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says</a> the majority of people who have had the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccines will be protected for life. The CDC <a class="" href="https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-13-measles.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">also has guidance</a> for people it recommends should be revaccinated.Prior to the introduction of the vaccine in 1963, about 500,000 cases and 500 measles deaths were reported annually, while the real number of cases was suspected to be much higher, <a class="" href="https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-13-measles.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the agency said</a>. Since then, incidence of the disease has fallen by over 95%, it said.Kennedy added that he would make sure that “anybody who wants a vaccine can get one,” noting that he is against forcing people to take it.“I’m a freedom of choice person,” Kennedy said. “We should have transparency. We should have informed choice. And — but if people don’t want it, the government shouldn’t force them to do it. There are adverse events from the vaccine. It does cause deaths every year. It causes all the illnesses that measles itself cause.”The CDC has stressed the measles vaccine is safe and effective. Its website lists extensive information about the vaccine, including potential side effects and warnings for people who shouldn’t get vaccinated.</blockquote>Government ShutdownYesterday, the House passed their continuing resolution with devastating cuts to Medicaid. Now, Democrats in the Senate have to decide whether to filibuster and possibly shut down the government.David Dayen at The American Prospect: <a href="https://prospect.org/politics/2025-03-11-senate-democrats-block-republican-spending-bill-or-dissolve-congress/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Senate Democrats’ Choice: Block the Republican Spending Bill or Dissolve Congress.</a><blockquote>Democrats were actually quite pleased with the clown show that was Congress in the last two years. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had no ability to pass anything without Democratic votes, as he was simply not in control of the far-right elements of his caucus. Democrats welcomed the perception that they were government’s rescuers, the adults in the room, who would save Johnson’s bacon and functionally control the House.This is no longer true. Donald Trump’s looming presence has whipped Republicans in line, and Johnson has recognized an important truth: So-called “moderate” Republicans will swallow anything, so he only has to negotiate with the far right, and if he can satisfy them, he’ll win any vote. Such was the case with a partisan seven-month “continuing resolution” that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/11/house-passes-continuing-resolution-shutdown-bill" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">passed the House</a> on Tuesday 217-213, with only one defection by libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who doesn’t really believe in government funding at all. (One Democrat voted for it, Maine Blue Dog Jared Golden.)<a href="https://skydancingblog.com/45d6b85f41b8d33d2eae78b9e3790324/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>It is somewhat remarkable that dozens of House Republicans who have vowed never to pass stopgap bills to fund the government in their political careers caved on this one. But that’s why I put “continuing resolution” in quotes. In reality, this is a hastily arranged partisan Republican budget that achieves much of their anti-government, anti-immigrant, pro-military agenda while paving the way for Trump to nullify whatever spending he deems unworthy. It doesn’t just tilt spending in a far-right direction, it actually abdicates congressional responsibility as the branch of government that makes federal spending decisions.Yet several Senate Democrats are thinking about passing it anyway.Without the luxury of Republicans falling apart, Democrats in the Senate need to decide whether to prevent a dangerous and harmful budget that shrinks the power of Congress in the government. Since operating on principle goes against their “adults in the room” mindset, they are wavering on what to do. But it should be an open-and-shut case.A normal continuing resolution funds the government at the same level as the previous budget. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/08/gop-funding-patch-boosts-defense-and-deportations-cuts-other-programs-00219797" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">This bill does not</a>. It cuts non-defense discretionary spending by $13 billion below last year’s level, while increasing military spending by $6 billion. It zeroes out funding for programs that fund homeless shelters and prevent child abuse. It cuts health care funding for clinics and hospitals, emergency preparedness for communities, clean water projects, and tribal assistance. Meanwhile, it adds money for mass deportations, just as Immigration and Customs Enforcement has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/us/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-university-israel-hnk/index.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">illegally detained a green card holder for his political beliefs</a>.</blockquote>Read the rest at the link above.Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo: <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/here-are-the-arguments-for-why-senate-ds-should-vote-yes-and-why-theyre-wrong" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Here Are the Arguments for Why Senate Ds Should Vote Yes and Why They’re Wrong.</a><blockquote>Over the last week a few TPM Readers have written in with contrary arguments about how to deal with the “continuing resolution” that just passed the House and will soon be voted on in the Senate. These weren’t critical or acrimonious letters but frank constructive counters, which I appreciate. I wanted to discuss them because they line up pretty closely with the arguments that seem to have strong advocates in the Senate Democratic caucus.Let me summarize them briefly.<ul><li>Democrats are in a tough messaging environment and they’ll get blamed for the shutdown. Trump might even get to blame a recession on them.</li></ul><ul><li>The White House will get to control the pace of the shutdown. In other words, the executive gets flexibility in just how things get shut down, things that will get more or less helpful press attention. Thus he’ll be able to engineer lots of bad press cycles for the Democrats.</li><li>Quite simply, Trump’s presidency and the economy are imploding. Why rush in to make ourselves the story when every day is a bad day for Trump?</li><li>It’s too soon. The public isn’t engaged enough yet. By the fall the economy will likely be in recession and it will be a debate on Medicare, Medicaid, etc. — that’s the time to have the fight.</li></ul><ul><li>Trump and Musk probably want a shutdown. After a shutdown goes on for 30 days, the law opens up new legal avenues for layoffs. A shutdown is actually what they want and they will use it to accelerate the process, get people used to it. In other words, risking a shutdown is a trap because nothing would make them happier.</li></ul>I’ve thought a lot about each of these arguments. On their own a number of them are compelling and point to very real risks. Indeed, last week I briefly started questioning my own position because Democrats had done nothing to lay any groundwork for why they were choosing this confrontation. And that makes a fight much, much harder.But I think each of these arguments is mistaken. Indeed, as a whole it’s a bit like sitting in the mess hall in Treblinka planning an escape when someone says, “But if we try to escape they’ll kill us all!”First, I think Republicans are going to get wrecked in the midterms. I think that’s highly likely whatever happens. As a narrowly electoral calculus I think there’s a decent argument Democrats should just let everything happen, let Trump and Musk go wild. In this sense, James Carville’s argument that Democrats should just do nothing is right, by a narrowly electoral calculus. But there’s more than just an electoral calculus. Trump and Musk are methodically dismantling the republic day by day. Absent some major change in the trajectory of events the government Democrats might half-inherit in a midterm sweep would be all but unrecognizable, a smoldering heap of faits accompli. Democrats need to take some real risks to at least slow the process of destruction and reshape the trajectory.</blockquote>Read the rest at TPM.Michael Cohen at Truth and Consequences: <a href="https://truthandcons.substack.com/p/shut-it-down" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shut It Down! Senate Democrats are in a difficult spot with a government shutdown looming, but their course of action is clear.</a><blockquote>On Tuesday afternoon, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through September 30 and avert a government shutdown on Friday. Now, the bill moves to the Senate, where, if Democrats want to stop Donald Trump’s assault on the federal government, they must filibuster it.I get that the politics of this are complicated, but this isn’t even a close call.First, Republicans didn’t even bother negotiating with Democrats on this bill. As a result, there are no provisions requiring Trump to actually spend the money Congress is appropriating. This is important because Trump and Elon Musk have run roughshod over congressional prerogatives for the past two months, slashing government spending that Congress has already appropriated.Republicans are, in effect, daring Democrats to block it and risk taking the blame for a government shutdown (that’s how Speaker Mike Johnson got all but one of his fractured caucus to vote for the bill). On the merits, the bill is bad but not egregiously awful. It keeps spending levels essentially flat while increasing defense spending by $6 billion. However, it would force the District of Columbia to cut its budget by more than $1 billion, which would be devastating. In addition, it includes a provision that <a href="https://www.epi.org/policywatch/house-passes-continuing-resolution-h-r-1968-to-cut-federal-spending/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">strips the House</a> of the ability to stop Trump’s recent declarations of national emergencies on immigration and the border, which has allowed him to place sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico.But the real problem with the House-passed CR is that if Democrats allow it to become law, they will be handing Trump and Musk a blank check and the congressional authority to wreak further havoc on the federal government.Handing Trump more money — with no provision for how he spends it — is an explicit surrender to his and Musk’s lawlessness. Unlike regular spending bills, continuing resolutions do not explicitly tell the executive branch how it should allocate the money appropriated. So, if Senate Democrats allow this bill to pass, they would give Trump even greater discretion in how he spends money authorized by Congress — and more congressional leeway for taking a wrecking ball to the federal government.In <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/192575/transcript-trump-sinking-heres-dems-shouldnt-save-him?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">an interview with the New Republic’s Greg Sargent</a>, former New Jersey congressman Tom Malinowski captures the dynamic at play here.<blockquote>This is a bizarre situation in which the president of the United States and this billionaire are already shutting down the government. So if I’m a Democrat in Congress, why do I vote for a continuing resolution to fund programs that are not continuing? It really is just a blank check. It’s like giving Trump and Musk a trillion dollars and saying, Spend it as you like.</blockquote>Democrats cannot be complicit in Trump and Musk’s evisceration of the federal government. Even if Senate Republicans try to eliminate the filibuster to thwart Democrats’ shutdown tactics, even if Trump ignores Congress and (unconstitutionally) keeps the government open, and even if an extended shutdown boomerangs politically against Democrats, Democrats still need to hold the line.</blockquote>Click the link to read the rest.That’s it for me today. What’s on your mind?<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://skydancingblog.com/tag/government-shutdown-2025m/" target="_blank">#governmentShutdown2025m</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://skydancingblog.com/tag/leland-dudek/" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://skydancingblog.com/tag/measles-outbreak/" target="_blank">#measlesOutbreak</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://skydancingblog.com/tag/robert-f-kennedy-jr/" target="_blank">#RobertFKennedyJr_</a>

DoomsdaysCW'Bloodbath': <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialSecurityAdministration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurityAdministration</a> Begins Mass FiringsWhat is being described as a "total annihilation" of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSA</a>, say critics, proves that <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Trump</a>'s promises to protect <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> "are a sham."Jake Johnson, Feb 28, 2025"The Social Security Administration, now under the control of an official installed by U.S. President Donald Trump, began the process of gutting whole segments of the agency and firing a huge portion of its already diminished workforce, sparking alarm among advocates who say the move will almost certainly result in benefit delays and disruptions."<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TheAmericanProspect" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TheAmericanProspect</a>, which first reported earlier this week that Acting SSA Commissioner <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> was weighing staff cuts of up to 50%, obtained an email sent late Thursday indicating that the department has launched an 'agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions.'"'The email gives employees until March 14 to decide among a number of options,' the Prospect reported. 'They can seek voluntary reassignments, or 'separate from federal service through retirement or resignation.' All employees at least 50 years of age with at least 20 years of service are being offered an 'early out' voluntary early retirement; that's lower than the typical benchmarks for federal employees. Early retirees are typically eligible for an annuity.'"'In addition, between now and March 14 employees can take voluntary separation incentive payments of up to $25,000, depending on job classification. Employees are also encouraged in the email to resign and take the payout of their annual leave,' the outlet added."Trump [a known con-man and liar] has pledged that Social Security 'will not be touched,' but the progressive advocacy group <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialSecurityWorks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurityWorks</a> argued that the assault on SSA 'has only one goal: The total annihilation of Social Security by firing half of the workforce and closing the field offices.'"'<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WallStreet" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WallStreet</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/billionaires" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#billionaires</a> want to destroy Social Security so they can give themselves trillions in tax handouts,' the group wrote on social media." Read more: <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/social-security-administration-layoffs" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.commondreams.org/news/social-security-administration-layoffs</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USPol</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StealingFromThePoor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#StealingFromThePoor</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GivingToTheRich" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GivingToTheRich</a>

Democracy Matters :verified:'Collapse': Trump official blasted as he moves to 'demolish' Social Security Administration <a href="https://www.alternet.org/social-security-administration/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.alternet.org/social-security-administration/</a><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ArrestTrump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ArrestTrump</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ArrestMusk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ArrestMusk</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/DonaldKrasnov" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DonaldKrasnov</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/RepublicansOwnThis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RepublicansOwnThis</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/GOPKakistocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GOPKakistocracy</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/GOPWeirdos" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GOPWeirdos</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/NoRepublicansEverAgain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NoRepublicansEverAgain</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USPol</a>

Democracy Matters :verified:Leland Dudek, a data analyst working in a small anti-fraud office, was suspected of sharing unauthorized access to information with representatives of Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service and had been put on paid leave. Now he’s the acting Social Security commissioner, helping to take away your Social Security benefits.<a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/LelandDudek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LelandDudek</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SocialSecurityKiller" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurityKiller</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SSI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SSI</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/GOPTraitors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GOPTraitors</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/RepublicansOwnThis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RepublicansOwnThis</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ArrestRepublicans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ArrestRepublicans</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/GOPCoup" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GOPCoup</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USPol</a>

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