Evans defended Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” as DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing were affecting the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors. More than 103,427 Coloradans in Evans’ district relied on Social Security benefits.
Evans defended DOGE even though it had resulted in nearly $16 million in cuts to his district, including to school lunches, electric vehicle infrastructure, and public safety funding. He stood by while hard-working Coloradans lost their jobs.
May 2025: Evans Defended DOGE And Claimed It Was “Right-Sizing Government.” According to an interview Rep. Gabe Evans gave on the Real Story with Riley Lewis, “HOST: You know, DOGE, they answered a really critical question, too, in these first 100 plus days. Right. Because you look at this debt problem, a true crisis, almost $37 trillion to the day, and we're spending about $1 trillion every hundred days. It's unsustainable, Congressman. And I can't help but wonder, I've been wondering for years where exactly has all that money been going? Is it bloated salaries? Is it foreign countries? I don't know. Turns out it's been going to propping up a permanent Washington. Hundreds and hundreds of federal agencies run by unelected bureaucrats who also seem to be a bit uncontrollable. So you have to wonder, just as an American, regardless of politics, who could defend that? Because this bloated bureaucratic monster in D.C., it's running us into the ground. EVANS: Well, to that exact point, up until this administration took over, what bureaucrat wanted to preside over a 15% reduction in their workforce, or a 15% reduction in their funding? Everything was measured in terms of growing your agency, growing your agency's budget. That was how success was defined up until January 20th of this year. And so for the first time in decades, we finally are going back to the idea of right sizing government, being good stewards of the taxpayer dollar, understanding that there are critical things as defined in the Constitution that government has to do. But those are the things that we need to be focusing on, and we need to be focused on doing those things efficiently rather than just, you know, growing government for the sake of building the resumes of bureaucrats who want to say that they presided over a 12% budget increase and a 9% staffing increase.” [The Real Story w/Riley Lewis, 5/30/25] (audio)
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, 6/8/25]
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]
CBPP Said The Trump Administration Had Pushed Out 7,000 Social Security Workers. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Over the past five months, the Trump Administration has forced the Social Security Administration (SSA) through a radical transformation that threatens to disrupt services for the largely older and severely disabled people who most rely on the agency.[1] The Trump Administration and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have created huge gaps in customer service and support by indiscriminately pushing out 7,000 workers to hit an arbitrary staffing reduction target. This is the largest staffing cut in SSA’s history.[2] (See Figure 1.)" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/25]
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]
103,427 Coloradans In The 8th Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 103,427 Coloradans in the 8th congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Colorado, 2024]
HEADLINE: “Gabe Evans, Who Represents Colorado’s Most Competitive Congressional District, Has Yet To Criticize Trump” [Colorado Times Recorder, 2/7/25]
May 2025: Evans Defended DOGE And Claimed It Was “Right-Sizing Government.” According to an interview Rep. Gabe Evans gave on the Real Story with Riley Lewis, “HOST: You know, DOGE, they answered a really critical question, too, in these first 100 plus days. Right. Because you look at this debt problem, a true crisis, almost $37 trillion to the day, and we're spending about $1 trillion every hundred days. It's unsustainable, Congressman. And I can't help but wonder, I've been wondering for years where exactly has all that money been going? Is it bloated salaries? Is it foreign countries? I don't know. Turns out it's been going to propping up a permanent Washington. Hundreds and hundreds of federal agencies run by unelected bureaucrats who also seem to be a bit uncontrollable. So you have to wonder, just as an American, regardless of politics, who could defend that? Because this bloated bureaucratic monster in D.C., it's running us into the ground. EVANS: Well, to that exact point, up until this administration took over, what bureaucrat wanted to preside over a 15% reduction in their workforce, or a 15% reduction in their funding? Everything was measured in terms of growing your agency, growing your agency's budget. That was how success was defined up until January 20th of this year. And so for the first time in decades, we finally are going back to the idea of right sizing government, being good stewards of the taxpayer dollar, understanding that there are critical things as defined in the Constitution that government has to do. But those are the things that we need to be focusing on, and we need to be focused on doing those things efficiently rather than just, you know, growing government for the sake of building the resumes of bureaucrats who want to say that they presided over a 12% budget increase and a 9% staffing increase.” [The Real Story w/Riley Lewis, 5/30/25] (audio)
Protestors Rallied Outside Of Evans’ Office Demanding To Hear From Him Regarding The Massive Cuts To Federal Services. According to the Northglenn Thornton Sentinel, "About 50 protesters Friday demanded to talk to newly elected U.S. Representative Gabe Evans and ask him why he seemingly is standing idly by as newly elected President Donald Trump dismantles much needed federal services and protections. ‘There’s been not a whisper, not a word’ from Evans, said Westminster’s Ron Booth. ‘He’s been silent as we quickly descend into fascism.’ Booth and others gathered in a parking lot next to Evans’ office in Northglenn and called for him to come out and talk on Feb. 21. They also chanted ‘Where is Gabe! Where is Gabe!’" [Northglenn Thornton Sentinel, 2/21/25]