As Americans Worry About Ability To Put Food On The Table And Pay Bills Following Cruel And Indefensible Cuts To Social Security, Leader Schumer Calls For Social Security Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek To Resign

New York, N.Y. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today called on DOGE-picked, Social Security Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek to resign after he granted DOGE access to data systems and deeply personal info without adequate vetting, laid off thousands of staff, and closed critical offices.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today called on Social Security Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek to resign following his disastrous tenure in the office, which has involved granting DOGE access to private systems, laying off thousands of staff members, and closing critical offices. From chaos to long waits, these devastating and cruel cuts not only hurt seniors, but they risk dangerous outcomes to health and wellness for those who most depend on their earned payments for day-to-day life. 

“You don’t need to scratch your head and wonder what’s going on when you see that the Trump administration is decimating Social Security offices and staff. And you don’t need to ponder what might happen next when Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, says that the earned benefits that tens-of-millions of seniors, families, and children depend on are some scam—because that’s a real threat and a real promise: they are coming for your Social Security,” said Leader Schumer. “And now those two, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, have a hatchet man in Leland Dudek, an acting Commissioner with an emphasis on the ‘acting,’ because his real role is to dismantle the very office is he is supposed to lead, make better, and protect. We have seen his audition and his work on the stage, and it is clear: Dudek is incapable of doing this job in the way it needs to be done. He won’t protect seniors. He will hurt them. Leland Dudek should resign.”

Leland Dudek has no executive experience and had previously been put on administrative leave pending an investigation into his sharing sensitive information with DOGE. DOGE’s ability to gain access to Social Security’s data, which contains reams of personal information on hundreds of millions of Americans, has caused real concern among experts and consumer advocates.

Social Security sends over $126 billion to more than 73 million retired and disabled beneficiaries every month. But despite producing no evidence of fraud or abuse, DOGE has fired at least 7,000 workers with the administration’s chainsaw, with plans to cut further. It is clear – this is smoke and mirrors to decimate this essential program – a benefits cut by another name.

Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers, the New York Times noted.

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