¶ Overview
- A central policy listed on Herrera’s platform was “Standing With President Trump.” Herrera, who supported Trump since 2016, would be another vote to move Trump’s price-hiking agenda forward. Trump and Johnson fought for passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which would trigger nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts absent future congressional action. More than 4.7 million Texans relied on Medicare for health coverage.
- Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) weakened the Social Security Administration and cost Texas hundreds of millions in federal contracts. DOGE cuts caused longer wait times, frequent website crashes, and mass layoffs in Social Security offices across the country, making it harder for Texas seniors to access their benefits. San Antonio businesses lost an estimated $375 million in federal contracts because of DOGE cuts, and Texas lost at least five Veterans' Affairs contracts.
¶ Herrera Claimed He Opposed Cuts To Social Security And Medicare, But He Supported Trump And Johnson Who Spearheaded A Bill That Would Trigger Major Cuts To Medicare
¶ “Standing With President Trump” Was A Central Policy Of Herrera’s Platform
Herrera Proudly Endorsed President Trump And Listed “Standing With President Trump” As A Central Policy On His Issues Page. According to Brandon Herrera’s campaign website, “Standing with President Trump. Brandon proudly endorses Donald J. Trump for President and worked on his campaign in 2016.” [Brandon Herrera for Congress, Issues, Viewed 4/23/26]
¶ March 2026: Herrera Touted An Endorsement From Speaker Mike Johnson
3/19/26: Herrera Touted An Endorsement From Speaker Mike Johnson. According to Brandon Herrera’s Twitter, “Thank you Mr Speaker, I’m looking forward to working together to deliver the results we need here in #TX23 🔥🔥🔥” [Twitter, @TheAKGuy, 3/19/26]
¶ herrera claimed he opposed cuts to social security and medicare
¶ 2026: Herrera Said He Opposed Cuts To Social Security And Medicare
2026: Herrera Said He Opposed Cuts To Social Security And Medicare. According to Brandon Herrera’s campaign website, “Brandon will oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits that seniors rely on. He supports expanding investment options for younger workers so these programs remain strong for future generations” [Brandon Herrera for Congress, Viewed 3/13/26]
¶ trump and johnson fought for passage of the “big beautiful bill,” WHICH WOULD TRIGGER NEARLY $500 BILLION IN MEDICARE CUTS absent future congressional action
Johnson And Trump Worked Together To Pass The “One Big Beautiful Bill.” According to Fox News, "House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., touted the close coordination between Congress and President Donald Trump to successfully pass the ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ saying the collaboration is part of the ‘beauty of unified government.’ Congress officially passed Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate. The massive agenda package now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline." [Fox News, 7/3/25]
- Trump And Johnson Lobbied The Republican Holdouts To Make Way For Passage Of The Bill. According to NBC News, "A bloc of Republican holdouts had initially opposed a procedural vote Wednesday to advance the bill, leading to an hourslong overnight standoff. But Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., managed to sway all but one of them, teeing up final passage in the House." [NBC News, 7/3/25]
- May 2025: The Passage Of The Budget Bill Was A “Triumphant Moment For Johnson,” Who Got The Bill Passed With A Singular Vote Margin. According to ABC News, "A smiling Speaker Mike Johnson announced the massive measure passed by a single vote -- 215-214 -- and was greeted with applause. He had struggled to get it done -- as he had promised -- by Memorial Day, before lawmakers go on recess. The sweeping package of tax cuts, Medicaid reform and immigration spending delivers on many of the president's domestic campaign promises. Following debate that stretched Wednesday through the entire night and into early Thursday morning, the vote was a triumphant moment for Johnson, who conquered sharp divisions among his conference ‘through a lot of prayer’ amid a historically low 3-vote majority." [ABC News, 5/22/25]
HEADLINE: "Trump And GOP’s Tax Bill Would Force Cuts To Medicare, CBO Says" [Washington Post, 5/21/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That The House Republican Reconciliation Bill Would Trigger Nearly $500 Billion In Cuts To Medicare. According to a letter the Congressional Budget Office sent to Rep. Brendan Boyle, "Today the Congressional Budget Office transmitted an estimate of the budgetary effects of the 2025 reconciliation bill, as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Budget on May 18, 2025. 1 CBO has not yet completed estimates of the effects of interactions among the titles of the legislation. This letter responds to your questions concerning the sequestration (the cancellation of budgetary resources) in accordance with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (S-PAYGO) that would occur if an enacted bill raised deficits by $2.3 trillion over 10 years. Under S-PAYGO, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is required to maintain 5- and 10-year scorecards that it updates with the estimated cumulative changes in revenues and outlays generated by newly enacted legislation. […] The 4 percent maximum reduction in Medicare spending would apply to sequestration orders for years after 2026. If OMB ordered a sequestration of $230 billion for each year through 2034, the ordered reductions in Medicare spending would increase to about $75 billion in 2034 and would total roughly $490 billion over the 2027–2034 period." [Letter to Rep. Brendan Boyle – Congressional Budget Office, 5/20/25]
¶ more than 4.7 million texans relied on medicare for health coverage
2024: 4,770,640 Texans Were Enrolled In Medicare.
[KFF, Viewed 5/26/26]
¶ Herrera Gave His Full Support To Trump’s Agenda, Which Included DOGE Cuts That Weakened Social Security And The Texas Economy
¶ “Standing With President Trump” Was Central To Herrera’s Platform
Herrera Proudly Endorsed President Trump And Listed “Standing With President Trump” As A Central Policy On His Issues Page. According to Brandon Herrera’s campaign website, “Standing with President Trump. Brandon proudly endorses Donald J. Trump for President and worked on his campaign in 2016.” [brandonherreraforcongress.com – Issues, Viewed 4/23/26]
¶ 2025: At The Social Security Administration, DOGE Had Forced Mass Layoffs, Longer Wait Times And Frequent Website Crashes
One Year After DOGE-Era Cuts Resulted In A 12 Percent Cut Of The Social Security Administration’s Workforce, Social Security Offices Across The Country Still Struggled With Staffing. According to Business Insider, "More than a dozen Social Security field offices are listed as closed to in-person service, instead directing customers to reach out by phone or contact the national 800 number. Now, the list of closures has prompted concerns for the beleaguered agency and its recipients. A federal employees' union memo obtained by Business Insider sheds some light on why offices are closed: Some due to operational issues with their buildings, while others are so small that any understaffing forces them to temporarily shut down. […] The closures come at a tumultuous time for the Social Security Administration and its beneficiaries; the agency shed around 7,000 workers, or nearly 12% of its workforce, during the DOGE era, and has had to temporarily reassign some employees to staff phone lines. While the SSA said these office closures are temporary, staffing issues and a lack of field offices could be an increasing problem for the administration and recipients alike. Some currently-shuttered offices simply don't have enough staff. These smaller offices, called resident stations, are often staffed by just one person and serve low-population areas. Two resident stations in rural Montana and Wyoming are closed for lack of workers." [Business Insider, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Stops Reporting Call Wait Times And Other Metrics" [Washington Post, 6/20/25]
HEADLINE: "As Social Security Services Are Cut Back, Millions Of Seniors Face Long Drives" [Axios, 4/8/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Website Keeps Crashing, As DOGE Demands Cuts To IT Staff" [Washington Post, 4/7/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Faces Thousands More Job Cuts Even With Service In Tailspin" [Washington Post, 4/4/25]
The Social Security Administration Website Crashed Four Times In Ten Days In March Because Servers Were Overloaded. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Field Office Managers At Social Security Offices Had To Answer Phones In Place Of Receptionists Because DOGE Had Pushed Out So Many Federal Employees. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
DOGE Eliminated The Social Security Administration’s System To Monitor Customer Experience. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Early February-Late March 2025: AARP Said More Than 2,000 People Per Week Had Called Expressing Concerns About Whether They Would Continue To Get Their Social Security Benefits. According to the Washington Post, "Alarmed lawmakers are straining to answer questions back home from angry constituents. Calls have flooded into congressional offices. AARP announced Monday that more than 2,000 people a week have called the retiree organization since early February — double the usual number — with concerns about whether benefits they paid for during their working careers will continue. Social Security is the primary source of income for about 40 percent of older Americans." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
¶ More Than 145,000 Texans In The Old 23rd Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits
2025: 145,768 Texans In The Old 23rd Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2025, 145,768 Texans in the 23rd congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Texas, 2025]
¶ San Antonio Businesses Lost Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars In Contracts Because Of DOGE Cuts
The Trump Administration’s Department Of Government Efficiency Cut Nearly $583 Million In Federal Contracts In Texas, Including $375 Million In The San Antonio Area. According to the San Antonio Express-News, "Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting agency has killed nearly $583 million in federal contracts across Texas — and businesses in San Antonio are bearing the brunt. The latest data from the Department of Government Efficiency shows local entities have lost contracts worth $375 million since early this year, about two-thirds of the statewide total. The cuts are part of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce government workforce and services. Actual amounts saved are significantly less than the contracts’ value because many of the projects are underway or already complete." [San Antonio Express-News, 4/23/25]
DOGE Cut At Least Five Contracts With The Department Of Veterans’ Affairs Across Texas. According to San Antonio Express-News, "Across Texas, DOGE has cut at least five contracts supporting the VA. It ended a $4.36 million deal with LG Strategies LLC of Austin for ‘quality and regulatory support consulting services.’ DOGE cut two contracts with Sustainment Technologies LLC of Bryan worth $751,000 for medical equipment maintenance. Inmar RX Solutions of Grand Prairie lost its $319,800 consulting deal with the VA on pharmacy logistics. San Antonio-based Hyperion Biotech Inc. also lost a $120,113 deal providing consulting services on testing for the cause of Legionella in VA water systems." [San Antonio Express-News, 4/23/25]
¶ DOGE Cuts To FEMA And NOAA Made Texas Less Equipped To Handle Natural Disasters
Experts Said DOGE Cuts To FEMA And NOAA Left States Like Texas Vulnerable If A Weather Disaster Hit. According to the Associated Press, “With predictions for a busy hurricane season beginning Sunday, experts in storms and disasters are worried about something potentially as chaotic as the swirling winds: Massive cuts to the federal system that forecasts, tracks and responds to hurricanes. Experts are alarmed over the large-scale staff reductions, travel and training restrictions and grant cut-offs since President Donald Trump took office at both the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which prepares for and responds to hurricanes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks and forecasts them. ‘My nightmare is a major catastrophic storm hitting an area that is reeling from the impact of all of this nonsense from the Trump administration and people will die. And that could happen in Florida, that could happen in Texas, that could happen in South Carolina,’ said Susan Cutter, the director of the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute at the University of South Carolina.” [Associated Press, 5/31/25]
- DOGE Cuts Caused FEMA To Lose Nearly 2,000 Employees, Cancel Emergency Management Training Events And Cut Disaster Resilience Programs. According to the Associated Press, “About 2,000 full-time staff have left FEMA since Trump took office in January, a loss of roughly one-third of the agency’s full-time workforce, amid Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) mandated cuts. Scholars who study emergency management are concerned by both the reduction in capacity and the ‘brain drain’ of experienced staff. […] FEMA canceled various emergency management trainings this spring, moved others online and restricted travel to events such as the National Hurricane Conference. Some trainings have resumed. ‘Given the reduction in staffing, being unable to do trainings, participate in conferences, there’s potential that the federal government’s ability is diminished,’ said former Florida Emergency Management chief Bryan Koon, now president of the disaster preparedness firm IEM. FEMA has also cut disaster resilience programs. Making areas more survivable saves up to $13 for every dollar spent, said Lori Peek, director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado.” [Associated Press, 5/31/25]