Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—better known as D.O.G.E—has begun cutting the Social Security Administration without telling some of the highest-ranking Republicans who oversee it. The changes started with office closures, staff layoffs, reduced phone services, and a new rule that forces certain applicants to register in person. All of this rolled out fast, quietly, and without input from lawmakers responsible for monitoring the agency. According to NBC News, multiple senior Republicans confirmed they were not warned. The silence came despite their positions on key Senate committees connected to Social Security. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and the current chair of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said he was never told about the moves. “No, I have not been,” Chuck said. When asked again if advance notice would help him do his job, he answered, “I have not been. I have not been.” GOP senators were never briefed on D.O.G.E’s moves Steve Daines, Republican from Montana and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said the same thing. On the same day he questioned Trump’s nominee to run Social Security about long wait times, Steve said no one from the administration gave him any heads-up. “No, we haven’t,” he said. “I haven’t had any heads-up on any specific announcements.” When asked whether he wanted to be informed, he said, “I’d like to know about it, yeah.” Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who worked on a failed bipartisan plan to overhaul Social Security with Senator Angus King of Maine, was also left out. Their reform talks have stalled, and King publicly criticized Elon and D.O.G.E over the new rules. Staff for both senators declined to say anything further. The White House also refused to comment. While Republican lawmakers were ignored, the changes are being noticed by everyone else. Critics argue the real goal is to quietly make it harder to access Social Security. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader from New York, said on Tuesday: “Fewer people will get benefits because of what they’ve done. This is another way of killing Social Security, plain and simple. They can’t outwardly cut benefits because it would be so unpopular. They’re just making it harder for you to get benefits. Same thing. Different route, same nasty result. Americans aren’t falling for it.” The complaints come after Elon called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” throwing more fuel on the fire. While Democrats see that as proof of bad intentions, not all Republicans agree. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho and the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, defended the president. He said Tuesday that “scare tactics” were being used against Trump and insisted that “the president has said very clearly that we are not going to cut Social Security benefits.” John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, admitted D.O.G.E is still trying to figure out what it’s doing. He said the administration already laid off workers and then started hiring again. “They’ve had some layoffs, and then they’ve rehired people. They’re still trying to figure out what the right numbers are. And obviously, the sooner they can get that settled, the better,” John said. “We’re in a transition period, and there’s going to be a number of changes, plus and minus. And I think — ultimately, I don’t think those kinds of personnel decisions are going to be best made by Congress.” Asked about Elon’s “Ponzi scheme” comment, John said, “Well, I think I understand he means that there’s fewer and fewer people working and supporting more and more people, and it’s unsustainable. I happen to agree with that.” Musk’s D.O.G.E cuts stretch across multiple federal agencies Rick Scott, the Republican senator from Florida, supported the administration’s actions and said he hasn’t received complaints from people in his state. “I believe that they’re going to do the right things,” Rick said. He added that D.O.G.E officials know it’s their job to “answer the phones and take care of Social Security recipients” in Florida and elsewhere. The disruption isn’t limited to Social Security. Musk and D.O.G.E are also reshaping other agencies. When Donald Trump signed the executive order to break apart the Department of Education, Bill Cassidy—who leads the Senate committee responsible for that department—was never shown a copy of the order. Cassidy’s staff also got no details about the administration’s plan, according to two Republican officials who spoke to NBC News. The pattern repeated itself at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired senior military officers and lawyers without alerting top Republicans. Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, was given no formal briefing. D.O.G.E also acted alone when the White House began peace talks with Russia. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and longtime Trump ally said he didn’t know the details of the negotiations. Lindsey supported Ukraine and disagreed with the tone coming from the White House. Earlier this month, Lindsey spoke to NBC about how D.O.G.E slashed the U.S. Agency for International Development, which handles America’s foreign aid and humanitarian support. He said communication between Congress and the administration was “bad” in the early weeks. “First, it was bad, and now it’s better. It has gotten better since the president spoke at the Cabinet meeting and said, ‘We need a scalpel, not a hatchet.’” Lindsey added, “Things have improved.” But even that comment hasn’t stopped the blowback. Republicans in power are realizing they’ve been kept out of the loop and that D.O.G.E isn’t slowing down. They’re watching as departments are reshaped without any real notice. The people running these agencies aren’t asking permission, and they aren’t giving updates. Republicans close to the White House are finding out about the changes after they’ve already happened. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More
