Elon Musk Podcast Elon Musk's DOGE Cuts Delayed Social Security Payments And Harmed Customer Service
Aug 14, 2025
Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator for Maryland, dives into the critical issues facing Social Security, highlighting how Elon Musk's DOGE cuts have significantly delayed payments and hurt customer service. He discusses urgent funding challenges and advocates for a proposed amendment to allocate $90 million to improve assistance for beneficiaries. The senator also emphasizes recent funding boosts aimed at enhancing service delivery, making a strong case for fiscal sustainability and effective support to the Social Security Administration.
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Service Delivery Took A Major Hit
- Senator Chris Van Hollen argues Social Security customer service suffered significant damage during the Elon Musk-Doge episode.
- He frames the problems as under-resourcing, long waits, crashed websites, and reassignments that harmed service delivery.
Specific Failures During The Crisis
- Van Hollen recounts concrete failures: fewer answered calls, long waits, a website crash, and reassigning regional staff.
- He portrays these as direct harms to constituents seeking Social Security answers.
Reallocate Funds To Restore SSA Service
- Van Hollen proposes reallocating $90 million from an OMB fund to bolster SSA customer service immediately.
- He urges colleagues to support the amendment to repair damage and improve constituent access to benefits.