¶ Overview
- Salazar promised not to take “a single dollar” away from Medicare. Then, she voted for the Big Beautiful Bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimated would trigger more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare absent future congressional action.
- In 2021 and 2022, and even still to this day, Salazar claimed she supported the government negotiating lower drug prices, but she voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which allowed the government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. In 2021, she also voted against an effort to allow HHS to negotiate the cost of insulin and other drugs.
- Salazar supported DOGE while it weakened the Social Security Administration and said she was “very proud” to join the Congressional DOGE Caucus. At the same time, DOGE cuts to the Social Security Administration had forced mass layoffs, longer wait times and frequent website crashes. There were 135,717 Floridians in the 27th congressional district who relied on Social Security benefits and 6,000 Floridians who were employed by the federal government.
¶ Salazar Broke Her Promise And Voted For Major Cuts To Medicare
¶ january 2023: salazar promised she would not take “a single dollar away from medicare”
Salazar Promised Not To Take “A Single Dollar” Away From Medicare. According to a post on Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter,
[Twitter, @MaElviraSalazar, 1/21/23]
¶ salazar voted for republicans’ budget bill, which included nearly $500 billion in cuts to medicare
May 2025: Salazar Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Salazar voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution. It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "Trump And GOP’s Tax Bill Would Force Cuts To Medicare, CBO Says" [Washington Post, 5/21/25]
- 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]
July 2025: Salazar Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Billion In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Salazar voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The Bill Prohibited Final Rules That Would Have Increased Access To Medicare Savings Programs For Very Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries, Eliminated Medicare Eligibility For People With Lawful Immigration Status, And cut Medicare Funding By $490 Billion Between 2027 and 2034. “The OBBBA prohibits the implementation of two finalized rules until October 1, 2034. The rules would have made it easier for very low-income Medicare enrollees to access Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), which help cover premiums and cost-sharing for their Medicare benefits. This will disproportionately affect disabled people, as they are more likely to have lower incomes than nondisabled people. Second, the bill eliminates Medicare eligibility for people with lawful immigration status who have already paid into the program. Lastly, according to the CBO, absent future congressional action, the bill will trigger $490 billion in cuts to Medicare from 2027 to 2034 due to the Statutory Pay‑As‑You‑Go Act of 2010.” [Center For American Progress, 7/3/25]
¶ Salazar Voted Against Lowering The Cost Of Prescription Drugs For Seniors, Going Against Her Own Past Support For The Policy
¶ Salazar Claimed She Supported The Government Negotiating Lowering Drug Prices
2022: Salazar Believed The Government Should Renegotiate Prescription Drug Prices To Lower The Cost Of Medications. According to the archived version Maria Elvira Salazar’s campaign website from 2022, "In order to lower costs, we need more competition, including allowing individuals and families to buy health insurance across state lines. The government can and should renegotiate drug prices to lower the high cost of medications. The high premiums, co-payments, and medication make impossible what every American cannot be without: affordable healthcare."
[Maria Elvira Salazar Campaign Website, 7/29/22 accessed via archive.org]
2021: Salazar Believed The Government Should Renegotiate Prescription Drug Prices To Lower The Cost Of Medications. According to the archived version Maria Elvira Salazar’s campaign website from 2021, "In order to lower costs, we need more competition, including allowing individuals and families to buy health insurance across state lines. The government can and should renegotiate drug prices to lower the high cost of medications. The high premiums, co-payments, and medication make impossible what every American cannot be without: affordable healthcare."
[Maria Elvira Salazar Campaign Website, 3/9/21 accessed via archive.org]
¶ 2022: Salazar Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Included Provisions Aimed At Lowering Prescription Drug Costs For Millions Of Americans
Salazar Opposed The Inflation Reduction Act. According to a post on Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter, "Let me be clear: the Inflation Reduction Act will do NOTHING to reduce inflation. Instead, it’s going to raise your taxes, send American jobs overseas, and weaponize the IRS to come for your hard-earned dollars." [Twitter, @MaElviraSalazar, 8/17/22]
2022: Salazar Touted Voting Against The Inflation Reduction Act. According to a post on Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter, "The Inflation Reduction Act won’t lower inflation — studies show it’ll do the exact opposite. I voted NO on this reckless bill, and this is just ONE of the many reasons why." [Twitter, @MaElviraSalazar, 8/12/22] (video)
2022: Salazar Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act Of 2022, A Multi-Billion Package To Address Climate Resiliency, Taxes, And Health Care Costs. In August 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Salazar voted against concurring in the Senate amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, “comprising a package of climate, tax and health care provisions.” The vote was on a motion to concur. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote 220-207, thus the bill was sent to President Biden for final signage. President Biden signed the bill and it ultimately became law. [House Vote 420, 8/12/22; Congressional Quarterly, 8/12/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5376]
- The Inflation Reduction Act Included A Cap On Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Seniors Enrolled In Medicare At $2,000 Annually. According to the Washington Post, “The prescription drug pricing reforms aim to help cut costs for seniors enrolled in Medicare. It caps their out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 annually, while allowing the U.S. government to negotiate the price of a small set of medicines beginning in 2026.” [Washington Post, 8/7/22]
- The Inflation Reduction Act Required Pharmaceutical Companies To Pay Rebates To Health And Human Services If They Increase The Medicare Drug Prices Greater Than Inflation. According to The Washington Post, “Pharmaceutical giants, which forcefully opposed the bill, also would be required to pay ‘rebates’ to the federal government if they raise Medicare drug prices beyond the rate of inflation.” [Washington Post, 8/7/22]
¶ 2021: salazar voted against directing the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug costs
2021: Salazar Voted Against Directing The Department Of Health And Human Services To Negotiate Lower Prescription Drug Prices For Insulin And Certain Medicare-Eligible Drugs That Lack Generic Competition. In November 2021, Salazar voted against the Build Back Better act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, “require the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate a ‘maximum fair price’ for insulin and select Medicare-eligible, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 220-213. [House Vote 385, 11/19/21; Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5376]
¶ Salazar Supported DOGE Despite The Detrimental Impact Its Cuts Had On Florida
¶ Salazar Supported doge and claimed she was “Proud” to Join the congressional DOGE Caucus
Salazar Said She Was Proud To Join The Congressional DOGE Caucus And To Work On Reining In Wasteful Spending. According to a post on Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter, “Very proud to join @RepAaronBean and my colleagues on the new Congressional #DOGE Caucus! With this Caucus, Congress and the incoming Trump Admin will be able to work hand in hand to rein in wasteful spending and bring fiscal order back to Washington, DC!” [Twitter, @RepMariaSalazar, 11/19/24]
Salazar Said She Was “Glad To Be Part Of The DOGE Team.” According to a post on Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s Twitter, "Glad to be part of the #DOGE team and on the new caucus! Great meeting with @elonmusk & @VivekGRamaswamy on Capitol Hill today. We talked government efficiency & working together to cut wasteful spending. Countdown to January 20, it’s going to be a great 119th Congress!" [Twitter, @RepMariaSalazar, 12/5/24]
¶ At The Social Security Administration, DOGE Had Forced Mass Layoffs, Longer Wait Times And Frequent Website Crashes
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]
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]
¶ doge’s cuts were detrimental to florida
¶ 2024: 135,717 Floridians In The 27th Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits
2024: 135,717 Floridians In The 27th Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 135,717 Floridians in the 27th congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Florida, 2024]
¶ DOGE’s Cuts To USDA Funding Hurt Florida Food Banks And The Families They Served
May 2025: Florida Food Banks Suffered After DOGE Cut Funding For Nearly $1 Billion Worth Of U.S. Department Of Agriculture Programs. According to CBS News, “The food goes to people like Rosalyn Budgett, who lives on a fixed income and comes to Feeding South Florida every two months. ‘I'm able to get a balanced meal on a daily basis,’ Budgett told CBS News. She says that without the food bank, ‘I'd probably starve.’ But the aid she relies on has been reduced. In March, the White House's Department of Government Efficiency cut funding for about $1 billion worth of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. The two federal programs that were cut allowed schools and food banks to purchase food directly from local farmers and producers. ‘We've been seeing empty racks since February,’ Paco Velez, CEO of Feeding South Florida, told CBS News. ‘These cuts have really made an impact, not just on our ability to serve, but on the families' ability to thrive in South Florida and across the country.’” [CBS News, 5/21/25]
¶ DOGE’s Cuts To FEMA And The National Weather Service Made Florida, Which Was Prone To Natural Disasters, More Vulnerable
Experts Said DOGE Cuts To FEMA And The National Weather Service Left States Like Florida 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 Cut 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]