¶ Overview
- Bouchard said he wanted to be Trump’s “ally” in congress. Trump fought for passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which would trigger nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts absent future congressional action. 22.4 percent of Michiganders were enrolled in some sort of Medicare plan.
- Bouchard said he wanted to be Trump’s “ally” in congress. Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) weakened the Social Security Administration and cost Michigan 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. Effects from DOGE-era cuts lingered at Social Security offices across the nation even a year later. DOGE cuts to Michigan agencies left the state less able to respond to emergencies and pulled funding from an estimated 196 grants from Michigan University and Michigan State University.
¶ Bouchard Was Ready To Support Trump’s Bill That Triggered Cuts To Medicare
¶ Bouchard Said He Was Seeking Trump’s Endorsement And Would Be His “Ally” In Congress
Bouchard: “I Want To Be His [Trump’s] Ally In Congress.” According to The Detroit News, “The Army veteran said he will seek Trump's endorsement after the GOP leader previously expressed concerns about his party losing the district without James. ‘I want to show (Trump) that I'm the right person to win this, and I am. But more than that, I want to be his ally in Congress,’ Bouchard said.” [Detroit News, 11/6/25]
¶ Trump Fought To Pass The “Big Beautiful Bill,” Which Would Trigger Nearly $500 Billion In Medicare Cuts Absent Future Congressional Action
Trump Worked 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 House Speaker Mike 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]
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]
¶ 22.4 percent Of Michiganders Were Enrolled In Some Sort Of medicare Plan
October 2025: 22.4 Percent Of Michiganders Were Enrolled In Some Sort Of Medicare Plan. According to The Michigan Advance, “22.4% of Michiganders are enrolled in some kind of Medicare plan, among the highest in the nation — and over half of those are on a Medicare Advantage plan, a private alternative to Original Medicare that can come with more limitations on doctor and hospital choice but can also come with additional care benefits. Behind Maine, that is the highest percentage of the population on a Medicare Advantage plan, nearly 14%. ‘Medicare is a lifeline for millions of Americans, and for the first time this scorecard shows how people’s experiences with the program vary widely depending on where they live,’ wrote Gretchen Jacobson, the Commonwealth Fund’s Vice President for Medicare, in a press release accompanying the scorecard. ‘In some states, beneficiaries can see doctors quickly and afford their prescriptions; in others, they face higher costs, delays, or red tape. By learning from states where Medicare works best, policymakers and health leaders can strengthen the program for everyone.’” [Michigan Advance, 10/16/25]
- 2,250,601 Michiganders Were Enrolled In Medicare.
[KFF, Viewed 4/23/26]
¶ Bouchard Wanted To Support Trump’s Agenda In Congress, Which Included DOGE Cuts That Weakened Social Security Services
¶ Bouchard Said He Was Seeking Trump’s Endorsement And Would Be His “Ally” In Congress
Bouchard: “I Want To Be His [Trump’s] Ally In Congress.” According to The Detroit News, “The Army veteran said he will seek Trump's endorsement after the GOP leader previously expressed concerns about his party losing the district without James. ‘I want to show (Trump) that I'm the right person to win this, and I am. But more than that, I want to be his ally in Congress,’ Bouchard said.” [Detroit News, 11/6/25]
¶ Trump’s department of government efficiency (DOGE) weakened the social security administration
¶ 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 170,000 Michiganders in the 10th congressional district relied on social security benefits
2024: 170,536 Michiganders In The 10th Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 170,536 Michiganders in the 10th congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Michigan, 2024]
¶ DOGE Cuts Severely Hindered Michigan Universities, Organizations And Government Agencies
Michiganders Who Were Laid Off From Various Government Agencies Due To DOGE Cuts Testified About The Detrimental Impact The Cuts Would Have On The State’s Ability To Function. According to CBS News, “From those working with veterans to those working to find a middle ground during strikes, Michigan lawmakers are learning how DOGE job cuts are hurting Michiganders straight from the people who are now looking for work. These workers not only painted a picture of how their lives have been turned upside down by these federal layoffs, but also how these firings have reportedly led to death and destruction in Michigan.” [CBS News, 4/17/25]
- A Michigander Who Was Laid Off From The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration Said The State Would Be Woefully Unequipped To Track And Handle Potential Weather Disasters. According to CBS News, “Nicole Rice says we won't be able to prepare for serious weather, like the ice storms in Northern Michigan, and monitor future concerns, like industry threatening algae blooms, with the void left behind by thousands of laid-off workers like her at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ‘Its loss would be an enormous blow to drinking water safety, climate resilience, maritime safety, invasive species control, and international treaty compliance with Canada,’ Rice told the Michigan Senate Labor Committee. [CBS News, 4/17/25]
- A Michigander Laid Off From The Department Of Housing And Urban Development Said The Department Would Have Been Better Equipped To Save Two Children Who Died From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After Falling Asleep In A Car Had Cuts Not Created Chaos At The Agency. According to CBS News, “Leslie Desmond says Tateona Williams would have gotten the help she needed to save two of her children, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while parked in a casino parking garage, had these job cuts not created chaos in the Department of Housing and Urban Planning, where she's currently on indefinite leave. ‘Their mother had called and asked for emergency relief and went through the right channels looking for help, but because of chaotic government cuts and inefficiencies, we failed them,’ Desmond said.” [CBS News, 4/17/25]
DOGE Cuts Caused The Jobs Of Multiple Employees At The Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System To Be Put In Limbo. According to CBS News, “Numerous Veterans Affairs employees across the country, including a few employees at the Ann Arbor Healthcare System, learned their roles were terminated as U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins announced cuts to 1,000 non-mission critical positions in the department on Feb. 13. One Ann Arbor employee found out she was being fired after being locked out of her government accounts at that time. Now she says she's expecting an offer to return to the VA Hospital, but it will be in a different role. The woman, who spoke to CBS News Detroit anonymously to avoid jeopardizing this opportunity, said she already had fears about her future with the VA after an executive order ending government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs placed her on administrative leave in January.” [CBS News, 2/21/25]
DOGE Cut An Estimated 196 Grant Programs In Michigan That Amounted To Approximately $625 Million. According to Michigan Live, “From mid-January through the end of May, the department has repeatedly made headlines for selling federal assets, cancelling/renegotiating contracts and leases and ending federal grant programs. Michigan is no exception. As of June 18, the DOGE Wall of Receipts claims to have terminated 208 Michigan grant programs, leases and contracts, with estimated total savings of a little over $630 million. Grant programs made up the bulk of that list. DOGE claims to have cut, or at least attempted to cut, 196 grant programs for $625 million in savings. The DOGE website also lists at least seven contract terminations making up $4.1 million in savings, and claims to have also saved $1.2 million by canceling at least five Michigan federal agency leases.” [MLive, 6/20/25]
- Michigan Organizations Said They Felt The Impact Of DOGE Cuts And Foresaw Operational Difficulties Due To A Lack Of Funding. According to Michigan Live, “Despite a promise on its website to upload cuts in a ‘digestible and transparent manner,’ some listed Michigan grants don’t yet include any specific identifying information. Other grants have not yet been terminated in the federal grant tracking system, usaspending.gov, but still show up on DOGE’s list. A few others were slated to end in 2024, before DOGE began. Still more funds are in a state of limbo due to legal challenges, and it’s not clear how much money the state will get back when the dust settles. For those reasons, it’s difficult to determine what the final dollar figure impact on the state could be, but despite the uncertainty, numerous Michigan programs confirmed the money has indeed stopped flowing. Ranging from violence prevention in Detroit to expanding energy efficient housing in Kalamazoo, groups that have lost funding say cuts will lead to operational difficulties.” [MLive, 6/20/25]
The University Of Michigan And Michigan State University Had The Highest Number Of Terminated Grants And Contracts As A Result Of DOGE, Including From The National Endowment For The Humanities, USAID And The National Science Foundation. According to Michigan Live, “The University of Michigan and Michigan State University had the highest total number of terminated grants and contracts. The DOGE website recorded at least 60 grants and two contracts initially awarded to the University of Michigan from four federal departments, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. The total savings, according to DOGE, are $32.5 million. The university did not respond to a request for comment. Michigan State University had at least 47 grants and one contract cancelled, according to DOGE, from five federal departments and agencies, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation and USAID. The total savings, according to DOGE, are $46.1 million.” [MLive, 6/20/25]