The following is a statement from Nancy Altman 1 , President of Social Security Works 2 , on the news 3 that Trump-appointed acting commissioner Leland Dudek is threatening to shut down Social Security rather than comply with a court order to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from continuing to access sensitive Social Security data:
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk installed Leland Dudek as acting Social Security commissioner six weeks ago. Plucked from administrative leave, Dudek was elevated over more than 100 higher-qualified civil servants because he was willing to give Musk’s DOGE complete, unfettered access to Americans’ most personal, sensitive data.
Dudek’s leadership has been the darkest in Social Security’s nearly 90 year history. He has sown chaos and destruction. Now, he is threatening to shut down Social Security completely.
Dudek is willing to deny over 70 million Americans the benefits that most of them rely on to survive, rather than stop DOGE from mucking around with our data. His highest loyalty is to Elon Musk and Donald Trump, not to the beneficiaries that the agency is meant to serve. Singlehandlely, he has taken the security out of Social Security.
Members of Congress who remain silent are complicit. The Trump-nominated commissioner, who will have his confirmation hearing 4 next week, is no better. In fact, he proudly calls himself 5 ‘a DOGE person.’
Every member of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, must condemn the destruction of our Social Security system and demand that the Trump administration follow Judge Hollander’s order. They must make it clear that no president — even one who thinks he is a king — can shut down our Social Security system.”
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams 6 and was authored by Newswire Editor.