Fact-Checking the Frankster 2.0

The Trump administration is celebrating Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s first year on the job with a triumphant press release, hailing the agency as a “premier service organization.”  In truth, there isn’t much to celebrate, despite Bisignano’s boasting.

Trump Throws Medicare, Medicaid Under The Bus for War in Iran

We always knew Trump wasn’t sincere about protecting Medicare and Medicaid. But he just betrayed his own lie by saying that the two programs - which provide 140 million people with health coverage - should NOT EXIST on the federal level. Why? Because defense should be the federal government’s only priority. Trump didn’t run as a libertarian. But his (poorly worded) declaration would make the Cato Institute blush:
2026-04-03T12:57:13-04:00April 3rd, 2026|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare, President Trump, Uncategorized|

Fortune Columnist Would Rather Cut Social Security Than Make Payroll Wage Cap More Fair

The right-wing barrage of anti-Social Security propaganda continues. In fact, we’re finding ourselves having to shoot down at least one misleading (or misguided) opinion piece every month. Today’s response was provoked by a recent column in Fortune: “Social Security has 6 years left. The fix that sounds cruelest may be the smartest.” Let’s start with the headline. Social Security does not have six years left. The program will go on indefinitely as long as people are working and paying into the system. It’s accurate to say that Social Security’s trust fund reserves will become depleted in some six years — in the unlikely event that Congress takes no pre-emptive action. 
2026-03-31T13:14:39-04:00March 31st, 2026|Categories: Equal Time, Social Security, Uncategorized|

“Fox Guarding the Henhouse”: Social Security Whistleblower Fears Trump/DOGE Have Put Americans’ Data at Risk

An attorney for whistleblower Chuck Borges says that DOGE accessing Americans' sensitive Social Security information is akin to "the fox guarding the henhouse" -- as her client appeared on PBS NewsHour responding to the latest news about data breaches at the agency. The attorney goes on to say that the "government is lying to us" about DOGE's malfeasance. Borges, who was the Social Security Administration's chief data officer until being forced to resign, told NewsHour anchor Amna Nawaz that a court filing from the Trump administration confirms some of his worst fears about DOGE's gross mishandling of beneficiaries' personal data.  The interview comes on the heels of reporting last week that DOGE employees shared sensitive Social Security data with a third party to ‘overturn election results.’ 
2026-01-30T13:27:01-04:00January 29th, 2026|Categories: Uncategorized|

Protesters Across USA Tell Trump & Musk: “Hands off Social Security!”

From Anchorage, Alaska to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., millions of protesters turned out on Saturday for nationwide “Hands Off” demonstrations against the Trump administration’s reckless handling of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and a host of other federal programs. These protests weren’t the usual political rallies. They were deeply personal, driven by countless stories of concern about programs that Americans depend on. Whether emanating from retirees in Florida or students in Nebraska, the message was loud and clear:  Don’t mess with our nation’s social insurance programs!
2025-04-07T14:38:40-04:00April 7th, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|

Former Official Reveals Recklessness of Musk’s Meddling in Social Security System

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing mounting scrutiny after a lawsuit was filed by labor unions seeking to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Americans’ sensitive personal data. According to the Washington Post, the legal challenge includes testimony from Tiffany Flick, a former senior SSA official, who warned in court filings that DOGE’s interference poses a serious threat to the security of data belonging to millions of people. Flick, who resigned her post at SSA after three decades, cited these actions as part of broader concerns over mismanagement and policy risk brought on by interference in the agency by Trump, Musk, and DOGE.
2025-03-11T11:11:50-04:00March 10th, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|

Trump & Musk Tried to Make it Harder for Parents to Register Newborns for Social Security

It started as a baffling and alarming decision. The Social Security Administration (SSA), under the influence of President Trump’s campaign to gut the federal government and Elon Musk’s DOGE team, announced the termination of Maine’s Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program. For 35 years, the EAB program had allowed parents to register their newborns for Social Security numbers right at the hospital. But suddenly, without warning, SSA moved to rescind this critical service, effectively forcing parents to register their children for Social Security with an SSA agent, at a time when Trump and Musk are closing SSA field offices and radically reducing the agency’s workforce.

Trump “Buyout” Offer May Devastate Social Security Administration

Voters may have sent various messages to Washington last November, but they certainly did not include a call to gut the federal workforce that serves American seniors and people with disabilities. Yet, that’s exactly what the Trump administration --- abetted by billionaire advisor ex-officio Elon Musk --- is attempting to do. On Tuesday, federal workers --- including employees of the Social Security Administration --- received an email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), offering “deferred resignation.” The email said employees could resign now and continue to receive pay and benefits through September --- an offer of dubious legality that was immediately criticized by Democratic lawmakers and labor unions representing federal workers.
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