Calvert was so supportive of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” that he wrote an entire op-ed defending the effort. Calvert also provided a flippant response to constituents at his office who were protesting DOGE, saying, “it’s just another day in paradise.” He did this as DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing were affecting the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors.
OPINION: "Ken Calvert: DOGE Is Doing What Must Be Done To Protect Taxpayers" [Rep. Ken Calvert Opinion – Orange County Register, 2/12/25]
Calvert: "I Expect The Hyperbole And Dramatics From The Left Will Only Grow More Frantic As DOGE And The Trump Administration Continues To Expose A Web Of Bureaucracy That Has Strayed Far From Their Original Mission At The Expense Of The American Taxpayer." According to an op-ed written by Ken Calvert in the Orange County Register, "I expect the hyperbole and dramatics from the left will only grow more frantic as DOGE and the Trump administration continues to expose a web of bureaucracy that has strayed far from their original mission at the expense of the American taxpayer." [Rep. Ken Calvert Opinion – Orange County Register, 2/12/25]
Calvert Claimed DOGE Was “Essentially Acting As Auditors” And Did Not Have Access To Private Information. According to an op-ed written by Ken Calvert in the Orange County Register, "There has been much discussion about Elon’s role in the U.S. Treasury and his access to secure data. The U.S. Treasury has robust systems and personnel to ensure the integrity of private information and, as I understand it, Musk does not have access to any system that could change or reveal private information. Protections afforded to Americans under the federal Privacy Act remain in place. He and the DOGE team are essentially acting as auditors and reviewing payments made by the U.S. Treasury. American taxpayers have every right to know how their hard-earned money has been spent." [Rep. Ken Calvert Opinion – Orange County Register, 2/12/25]
Calvert Said Protests At His Office Did Not Change His Support For DOGE’s Cuts And Said “I’m Used To It […] It’s Just Another Day In Paradise.” According to Politico, "Others have voiced concerns about the impacts NIH funding cuts could have on research institutions in their states. Some senators have also begun urging Musk and DOGE to show more ‘compassion’ for the civil servants they’re culling en masse. ‘We are not building trust within our own government by how the DOGE teams are operating,’ Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said. And ‘we’re seeing the Congress kind of stand back and let them overreach. That cedes our authority. … That’s not good.’ But many House Republicans don’t share her public hesitation. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) saw protestors gather at his Palm Desert office and said it didn’t change his support for Musk. ‘I’m used to it,’ he said. ‘It’s just another day in paradise.’" [Politico, 2/24/25]
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]
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]