U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, warned that President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress want to “take a chainsaw” to Social Security as they forge ahead with their plan to execute major federal spending cuts.
“House Republicans and the Trump administration are trying to take a chainsaw to everything that matters to the American people, like ending Social Security and Medicaid,” Jeffries decried on Thursday during his weekly leader’s press conference.
The Democratic leader and other members of his party have repeatedly cautioned that budget proposals from Republican lawmakers and unilateral cuts by the Trump administration to federal agencies, led by Elon Musk’s DOGE service, will critically impact federal programs millions of Americans rely on to survive–particularly amid skyrocketing costs for housing, health care and everyday necessities like groceries.
Jeffries emphasized that seniors who rely on Social Security are especially vulnerable in today’s economy. According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration has moved to cut at least 12 percent of the Social Security Administration’s staff, and the agency is already experiencing significant challenges amid overhauls led by DOGE. Musk, President Trump’s billionaire non-government employee senior advisor, called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” which has raised alarm for Democrats who fear the recent attention to Social Security benefits, including claims of fraud without presenting evidence, is the beginning of efforts to claw back the vital social program.
“Seniors on Social Security receive an average of $65 per month. They rely on Social Security and earned benefits to put food on the table, clothing on their back, and to make sure that they can pay their rent or pay their mortgage,” said Leader Jeffries. “It’s extraordinary to us that Donald Trump, the administration, and Republicans are trying to detonate Social Security in real time, including by dismantling the Social Security Administration, which will impact the ability of older Americans to receive benefits.”
He added, “The Republicans believe that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. Project 2025 is the Ponzi scheme.”
The Democrats said despite Republicans promising to lower the cost for Americans before last year’s election, they have done nothing to keep their promise since taking control of Congress and the White House.
“Costs aren’t going down. They are going up. Inflation is going up. America is becoming more expensive and less affordable under complete Republican control of government,” he said. “At the same period of time, Republicans are flooding the zone with a parade of horribles that all relate to Project 2025…and front and center right now is the target that Republicans have put on the back of Social Security recipients all across America.”
During his joint address to Congress earlier this month, President Trump claimed without evidence that millions of deceased people over the age of 100 (and as old as 360) are still receiving Social Security benefits. While the database for SSA does include deceased individuals, they are not receiving benefits, as many outlets have debunked.
And while Trump and Republicans are focused on making massive cuts to how much money the federal government is spending, a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of Americans believe the government spends “too little” on Social Security.
Congressman Jeffries vowed Democrats will continue to “fight hard to protect Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid and the things that actually matter to making life better for the American people.” He added, “We are on the same page as it relates to stopping the Republican effort to dismantle Social Security as we know it; we are on the same page as it relates to what needs to be done to actually create an economy that is affordable for every day.”
