In an astonishing display of RINO-ism, over a dozen House Republicans have betrayed President Trump and subverted the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by pushing back against the recent layoffs within the Social Security Administration (SSA).
For context, a group of 15 House lawmakers, all Republicans, wrote a letter to Frank Bisignano on May 6, 2025, who recently became the head of the SSA, saying that they believe that the staff cutbacks could cause issues for American taxpayers, aligning the Republicans with House Democrats on the issue.
In the letter, the group of GOP lawmakers asserted that layoffs at the SSA had left them “concerned,” writing, “Our constituents heavily rely on the services provided by our local SSA offices, the SSA website, and the SSA 1-800 number. Specifically, we are concerned about the SSA implementing staffing cuts and ending leases of customer service centers.”
Continuing, the lawmakers argued that the cutbacks, which were authorized by DOGE, could lead to “fraud and abuse. ” They went on to say, “This verification process must not be overly burdensome for the elderly or disabled with physical and technological challenges.” They added, “Also, individuals in rural areas face existing geographical hardships in accessing local Social Security offices.”
On the other hand, the lawmakers praised DOGE in the letter, describing the agency’s efforts as making “our bloated bureaucracy more efficient for the American people.” However, they implied that DOGE’s methods were incautious and risky, saying, “We must use caution and consider the impact any changes would have so there are no disruptions in services for our seniors and the disabled who depend on the Social Security Administration to receive retirement benefits and supplemental security income.”
Concluding the letter, the lawmakers described themselves as “Members of Congress representing districts with significant elderly populations,” adding that they were “committed to preserving, improving, and making the Social Security Administration more efficient for beneficiaries.”
Furthermore, the 15 lawmakers sent their letter to Commissioner Bisignano on the same day that he was confirmed by the Senate, a move that drew strong pushback from Democrats, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (NY) reportedly calling the confirmation “a disgraceful moment.” Sen. Schumer added, “This is putting a fox in the hen house. Bisignano is slash and burn. And the Republicans don’t want to say directly that they want to kill Social Security, so they strangle it. There is no better strangler of any program than slash-and-burn Bisignano.”
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The letter has not yet received a response from Commissioner Bisignano at the time of this writing. It was reportedly signed by Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), David G. Valadao (R-CA), Jen A. Kiggans (R-VA), Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-PA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Michael V. Lawler (R-NY).
Watch coverage of Bisignano’s confirmation:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video