'Elon Musk, keep your hands off our social security!' - Democrats rally against government agency inspections

Record ID: 1965041

  • Title: 'Elon Musk, keep your hands off our social security!' - Democrats rally against government agency inspections
  • Date: 10th February 2025
  • Summary: WOODLAWN, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 10, 2025) (REUTERS) SIGNS AT PROTEST OUTSIDE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION HEADQUARTERS READING 'STOP THE FACIST TAKEOVER', 'FREEZE FELON'S A$$ET$!!!' AND 'FELON MUST GO!!!' PEOPLE AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, SAYING: "As you can see, we have one simple message, which is: Elon Musk, keep your hands off of our Social Security. [CROWD CHEERS]" (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, SAYING: "They have accessed highly sensitive personal information on Americans at the Department of Treasury, including Social Security numbers, bank accounts and other very sensitive information." PROTESTER HOLDING UNITED STATES FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, SAYING: "And we have word there have been news reports that their next stop after the Department of Education where they've been, after NOAA after CMS for Medicare, is going to be the Social Security Administration [CROWDS SAYS 'BOO!'] and we say no keep your hands off our Social Security." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, ANGELA ALSOBROOKS, SAYING: "It is also the case that those who have served in this building do so no matter who the president is. Many of them have served for decades under Republican presidents, under Democratic presidents again, because they serve the people. And so what we know here is that the work that our civil servants do is far reaching. And it is really important to say that when you target civil servants, you also target the people they serve. This is a really important point. So it is not just the people who are sitting in these seats, but the people that they serve." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, ANGELA ALSOBROOKS, SAYING: "None of this, none of it is about making our government more efficient. And you know what? If they want to have a conversation about efficiency, we can have that conversation about cutting costs. But how deeply unserious and how deeply callous is it to cut cost on the backs of the veteran? Do we cut costs on the backs of the kid in Head Start, the grandmother on Medicare? How shameful is all of this? How shameful is it? [CROWD CHANTS 'SHAME! SHAME!'] Shame, Shame. This is shameful. It is disgusting. And you know what? Tell me this. And this is important for us to know this. This is what Senator Van Hollen was pointing our attention to. Is this also it's all a ruse. What is it about? Does cutting cutting Medicare lower the cost of eggs? I don't think so. How does slashing funding at the Social Security Administration cut the cost of gas? How does firing a bunch of civil servants lower the cost of housing? And how does Elon Musk having access to Social Security lower the cost of prescription drug medications? It doesn't. It's been already a whole month. And we have yet to see this administration do any of what is promised, a single attempt to lower costs for Marylanders or for the American people." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE, KWEISI MFUME, SAYING: "Every time you hear DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, you just remember it is the Department of Government Evil. Over." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE, KWEISI MFUME, SAYING: "All over this country we've got to meet the wickedness where it is. Leave federal employees alone!" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICH COUTURE, THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (AFGE) SSA COUNCIL 215, SAYING: "The White House and DOGE which we believe stands for the destroyers of government effectiveness. They've told the General Services Administration (GSA), which is the nation's landlord, to start terminating 7500 every single federal lease across the country." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICH COUTURE, THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (AFGE) SSA COUNCIL 215, SAYING: "If you think that your waiting a long time to get your claim processed, if you think you have a long time waiting in an office, imagine what that service is going to be like if you've got no office to call, if you got no office to visit, if there are no dedicated, apolitical civil servants there to serve you when you want help. We deserve better. The American people deserve better. And I hope that we all stand and fight this together." WIDE OF PEOPLE CHEERING 'FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT' AT PROTEST
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Alsobrooks DOGE Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk Medicaid Medicare Rich Couture SSA SSA protest Trump social security social security administration
  • Location: WOODLAWN, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES
  • City: WOODLAWN, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001033210022025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A crowd of Democratic lawmakers and demonstrators protested outside the Social Security Administration (SSA) headquarters near Baltimore, Maryland on Monday (February 10) about reports that Elon Musk's DOGE group was planning to disrupt that agency next.
    "As you can see, we have one simple message, which is Elon Musk, keep your hands off of our Social Security," U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said."
    'When you target civil servants, you also target the people they serve,' U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland said. She added: 'How does slashing funding at the Social Security Administration cut the cost of gas?'
    Representatives of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have been working at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where they were granted access to agency systems and technology, CMS said last Wednesday (February 05)
    Last Tuesday (February 04) the U.S. Treasury acknowledged Musk's team has been granted "read-only access" to its payment system codes but denied that this cut off any government payments, including those of Social Security or Medicare.
    DOGE has disrupted operations at several federal agencies and has raised privacy and security concerns as it has gained access to sensitive payroll and spending records. A federal judge on Saturday temporarily barred Musk's team from accessing government payment systems, citing risks of data leaks.
    (Production: Greg Savoy, Colette Luke)
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