Social Security employees banned from reading news websites at work
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The Washington Examiner's Tiana Lowe Doescher joins LiveNOW's Andrew Craft to discuss top White House headlines, including Elon Musk's email to federal workers demanding a response on what they accomplished last week.
Social Security Administration employees can no longer access news, sports or online shopping websites while at work.
The directive came down Thursday via email as the agency prepares to potentially lay off thousands of workers – and Elon Musk recently called Social Security "the biggest ponzi scheme of all time."
Why can’t Social Security employees access news sites?
What they're saying:
The Social Security Administration sent the following statement to LiveNow from FOX when asked about the new policy:
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"Social Security employees should be focused on mission-critical work and serving the American people. Therefore, we implemented additional restrictions to the categories of websites prohibited from government-furnished equipment, including online shopping, general news, and sports. Employees may request an exception if they have a business need for job-specific duties."
FILE - Florida, Sebring, Social Security Administration, federal government agency. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Social Security Administration plans mass layoffs
What we know:
The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, a person familiar with the agency’s plans told The Associated Press. The workforce reduction, according to a second person who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, could be as high as 50%.
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The people familiar with the agency’s plans say that SSA’s new acting commissioner Leland Dudek held a meeting this week with management and told them they had to produce a plan that eliminated half of the workforce at SSA headquarters in Washington and at least half of the workers in regional offices.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear how the layoffs will directly impact the benefits of the 72.5 million Social Security beneficiaries, which include retirees and children who receive retirement and disability benefits.
Is Social Security getting cut?
The other side:
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Social Security benefits won’t be cut, but advocates and Democratic lawmakers warn that layoffs will reduce the agency’s ability to serve recipients in a timely manner.
Some say cuts to the workforce are, in effect, a cut in benefits.
"The Social Security Administration is already chronically understaffed. Now, the Trump Administration wants to demolish it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group for the popular public benefit program.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a statement that "a plan like this will result in field office closures that will hit seniors in rural communities the hardest."
Social Security is one of the nation’s largest and most popular social programs. A January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of U.S. adults think the country is spending too little on Social Security.
Social Security layoffs linked to DOGE
Big picture view:
The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency, run by Musk.
Like other agencies, DOGE has embedded into the Social Security Administration as part of Trump’s January executive order, which has drawn concerns from career officials.
RELATED: DOGE cuts outlined in new Trump executive order: See the list
According to the DOGE website, leases for Social Security offices have been or will be canceled in several states, including Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina and more.
Altman said the reductions in force "will deny many Americans access to their hard-earned Social Security benefits. Field offices around the country will close. Wait times for the 1-800 number will soar."
The Source: This report includes information from the Social Security Administration, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and The Associated Press.