- विज्ञापन -
Chicago: Former U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized the Trump administration’s management of the Social Security Administration, according to a report by CNN. While he did not mention former President Trump by name, Biden expressed his concerns about cuts and changes occurring within the agency, accusing the current administration of wielding a “hatchet” against it.
In his first comments since leaving office in January, Biden remarked, “Look what’s happened now. Fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and destruction. It’s kind of breathtaking that it could happen that soon.”
A significant reorganization is currently underway at the Social Security Administration, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, involving staff reductions and policy changes. Many Americans are worried about the safety of their benefits, leading to a surge of calls flooding Social Security’s phone lines and field offices.
Biden highlighted, “There are 7,000 employees—7,000 out the door in that time—including the most seasoned career officials. Now they’re preparing to push thousands more out the door,” as reported by CNN.
While avoiding direct reference to Musk, Biden criticized what he described as a “tech startup culture” in the new administration. He stated, “They’re following that old line from tech startups—’move fast, break things.’ Well, they’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later, resulting in a lot of needless pain and sleepless nights.”
In his address at the national conference of Advocates, Counsellors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) in Chicago, Biden alternated between condemning Republican policies and defending the entitlement program that benefits over 73 million people, including individuals with disabilities and retired Americans.
He pointed out the detrimental effects of workforce cuts at the agency, noting that “already we can see the effects,” such as the crashing of the Social Security website, which users rely on for checking benefits and submitting claims. Biden remarked that the technology division had been halved, causing significant disruptions.
Biden also accused Republicans of deliberately undermining the Social Security agency with intentions of “robbing” its trust fund to finance an extension of tax cuts implemented during Trump’s presidency. He asked, “Why is this happening? Why are these guys taking aim at Social Security now?” further asserting, “They want to wreck it so they can rob it.”
He elaborated that their goal was to provide substantial tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations, making permanent the 2017 tax cuts that predominantly benefited the wealthiest Americans. Doing so, he claimed, would cost $5 trillion, raising questions about funding sources. “They’re going to continue to run the deficit up by increasing the national debt and taking money from somewhere else,” Biden concluded.
In response to Biden’s statements, the Social Security Administration accused him of “lying” to Americans. The agency claimed that Trump had “repeatedly promised to protect Social Security” and emphasized efforts to end taxation on benefits to increase seniors’ income. It also disputed claims regarding staff layoffs, asserting that it has invested $16.5 million to modernize phone services.
Furthermore, the agency pointed out that its inspector general identified $72 billion in improper payments between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, highlighting that over 2 million “illegal aliens” were assigned Social Security numbers in the most recent fiscal year.
