DOGE and MAGA are creating chaos and confusion across the country — and it’s hurting our seniors.
Last month, DOGE released a list of federal assets it wants to sell, including two federal buildings in Indianapolis.
I warned against this short-sighted plan, and now DOGE has removed this list from their website, creating even more chaos and confusion. But DOGE has not abandoned their plans. They’ve just hidden their list and eliminated virtually all transparency, so their plans are deliberately unclear.
With all this confusion, Americans and thousands of federal employees are left in the lurch.
Let’s start with the impact on federal workers, particularly in supporting Black employees.
People of color are also less likely than white Americans to have pensions or retirement savings. As a result, people of color rely more heavily on Social Security income in retirement.
Even if DOGE does not carry through with their plans, their lack of transparency and loose, “throw everything at the wall” strategy is incredibly stressful on federal workers.
These hardworking public servants have told me they feel devalued, and it’s no wonder why. DOGE continues to make the case, without evidence, against federal workers. They are holding families’ livelihoods over their heads for no reason.
It is almost impossible to speak with someone over the phone, thanks in part to Trump’s new policies that will require seniors to visit Social Security field offices to verify their identities in person. These policies have been delayed after the Social Security Administration received backlash. But they went into effect on April 14.
It’s a Catch-22 playbook. The Trump administration is forcing Social Security beneficiaries to rely on in-person services, while also taking away the closest and most convenient in-person location in Indianapolis. The Trump administration is forcing federal workers across the country to work in person full time.
Donald Trump has repeatedly promised he won’t touch Social Security. But his actions tell a different story. He and Elon Musk are creating new hurdles for seniors to apply for and receive Social Security benefits.
Social Security is a civil right. The Social Security Act was initially passed in 1935 with exclusions of Black Americans, and as a result, most Black Americans did not receive benefits until the 1950s, resulting in an economic disadvantage that lasts until now.
Today, Social Security is essential for people of color, who tend to have fewer alternative resources, become disabled at higher rates and disproportionately rely on Social Security’s family and survivor benefit features, including many Black children.
People of color are also less likely than white Americans to have pensions or retirement savings. As a result, people of color rely more heavily on Social Security income in retirement. Among seniors 65 and older, Social Security is the sole source of income for 33 percent of African Americans.
Because people of color generally earn less than white Americans, they benefit from Social Security’s progressive benefit formula, which replaces a higher percentage of pre-retirement earnings for low-wage workers.
MAGA Republicans continue to fail to protect Social Security, and they continue to fail Black Americans. I will always vote against Social Security cuts and vehemently push back against these policies.
What you receive from Social Security are YOUR benefits. You earned them. No one — not even the president — should be able to take them away.
Congressman André D. Carson of Indianapolis has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2008