Congresswoman Torres Introduces Repairing Social Security After Trump and DOGE Act
To Restore Benefits and Accountability for Seniors and People with Disabilities Hurt by Trump Administration Cuts and Actions
Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres announced the introduction of the Repairing Social Security After Trump and DOGE Act, a new bill to restore benefits and justice for Americans who were robbed of their Social Security by the Trump Administration’s chaos and cruelty.
“Social Security is a promise we make to every worker that after a lifetime of hard work, you can retire with dignity,” said Congresswoman Torres. “But President Trump and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency DOGE broke that promise. They fired thousands of staff, proposed shutting down field offices, and left seniors and people with disabilities stranded without help. This bill ensures that those who were denied access to their benefits because of that chaos are made whole. Repairing Social Security after this year and over the next three years means more than just reversing bad policies, it means rebuilding trust.”
Less than a year into his second term, President Trump’s Administration has fired more than 7,000 Social Security employees, proposed closing field offices, and restricted phone and in-person assistance, creating record-long wait times, website outages, and confusion for older Americans and people with disabilities.
“American workers contribute to Social Security with each paycheck, and these payments include money intended to fund the operations of the Social Security Administration. Since the beginning of the Trump Administration, Elon Musk and his DOGE acolytes have wreaked havoc on the Agency's operations, cutting staffing levels and erecting barriers so seniors and Americans with disabilities find it harder to access the benefits they have earned. Congresswoman Torres’ bill will help shield American workers and their families from shouldering the burden of delays caused by DOGE by requiring a future Social Security Administration to calculate the benefits lost by unreasonable delays in SSA operations and compensating beneficiaries for their losses,” said National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare President Max Ritchman.
"The Trump administration is sabotaging our Social Security system, pushing out thousands of dedicated staff. As a result, some Americans can't access their hard earned Social Security. This is a de-facto benefit cut. This important legislation recognizes that injury, and ensures that these Americans will not permanently lose out on benefits as a result. Rep. Torres should be applauded for doing everything in her power to ensure that Americans get the benefits they have earned in a timely way." said Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works
The Repairing Social Security After Trump and DOGE Act directs the future Social Security Commissioner to:
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Identify individuals who were unable to apply for benefits due to undue hardship caused by Trump-era actions.
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Allow individuals who faced undue hardship to recover missed benefits.
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For those affected, waive disability insurance waiting periods and ensure beneficiaries are not penalized for receiving late benefits so other potential programs they may rely on, like SNAP (CalFresh) and Medicaid (Medi-Cal), are unaffected.
The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate and document the damage caused by the Trump Administration and provide recommendations to restore public trust in Social Security operations.
The legislation has been endorsed by Social Security Works, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and Justice in Aging.
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