¶ Overview
- Flood voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowered prescription drug costs and capped the cost of insulin at $35/month for Nebraska seniors. Then he voted for House Republicans’ reconciliation bill, which he admitted he didn’t read in its entirety, which would trigger nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts absent future congressional action. He was also a member of the Republican Study Committee, which has advocated for raising the retirement age and turning Medicare into a voucher system.
- Flood also supported Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) despite the backlash he received from Nebraskans over his support. When asked about his support for DOGE, Flood responded, “people don’t like change.” Flood claimed he was “excited” about DOGE and cuts were necessary even as DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing affected the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors. More than 125,000 Nebraskans in the 1st congressional district relied on Social Security benefits.
¶ Flood Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Lowered Prescription Drug Costs For Nebraska Seniors
¶ flood voted against lowering prescription drug costs for nebraska seniors
¶ Flood Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act
2022: Flood Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act. In August 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Flood voted against concurring in the Senate amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which would “require the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate a ‘maximum fair price’ with drug manufacturers for certain Medicare-eligible, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition.” 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]
Flood Said He Was A “Clear No” On The Inflation Reduction Act. According to KMTV, "As expected, Flood said he's a ‘clear no’ vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected at the House of Representatives on Friday. The Senate narrowly passed the wide-scoped legislation Sunday, 51-50, in what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he's confident ‘will endure as one of the defining legislative measures of the 21st century,’ according to the Associated Press. The $740 billion package includes the largest-ever federal effort on climate change, caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare, and sets a 15% minimum tax for corporations bringing in more than $1 billion in income, per AP." [KMTV, 8/11/22]
¶ The Inflation Reduction Act Capped Prescription Drug Costs Under Medicare, Which Benefited More Than 51,000 Nebraskans
The Inflation Reduction Act Allowed Medicare To Negotiate Prices For Certain Prescription Drugs. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Negotiations are underway between HHS and the participating drug companies of the first 10 prescription drugs selected for negotiation in the first cycle of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The first 10 drugs selected treat conditions such as blood clots, diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, autoimmune diseases, and chronic kidney disease." [U.S. Health and Human Services, Inflation Reduction Act Of 2022, Viewed 7/1/24]
The Inflation Reduction Act Required Drug Companies To Pay A Rebate To Medicare If They Raised Prices Faster Than The Rate Of Inflation. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Allowing Medicare to negotiate with participating drug companies to get lower drug prices for certain drugs covered under Medicare Beginning negotiations with the participating drug companies that manufacture all 10 drugs selected for the first cycle of negotiations" [U.S. Health and Human Services, Inflation Reduction Act Of 2022, Viewed 7/1/24]
More Than 51,000 Nebraskan Medicare Enrollees Were Prescribed Drugs Selected For Price Negotiation Under The Inflation Reduction Act. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Nebraska, Viewed 5/6/25]
¶ The Inflation Reduction Act Also Capped The Cost Of Insulin For Medicare Enrollees At $35 Per Month
The Inflation Reduction Act Capped Insulin Prices At $35 A Month. According to CNN, "Medicare enrollees now pay no more than $35 a month for each of their insulin prescriptions, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which Democratic lawmakers pushed through Congress in 2022." [CNN, 1/2/23]
¶ Flood Voted For Massive Cuts To Medicare And Belonged To A Group That Wanted To Turn Medicare Into A Voucher System
¶ 2025: Flood Voted In Favor Of The House Republican budget Bill That Included Major Cuts To Medicare
July 2025: Flood 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, Flood 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]
- 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]
May 2025: Flood 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, Flood 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 (H Con Res 14). 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]
¶ Flood Admitted He Didn’t Read The “Big Beautiful Bill In Its Entirety
Flood Admitted That He Did Not Read The Entire “Big Beautiful Bill” Before Voting To Pass It. According to New York Times, “‘If we didn’t pass the Big Beautiful Bill,’ Mr. Flood said, ‘there would have been a $1,600 tax increase to every Nebraska family.’ […] Faced with selling a major piece of legislation that polls show is broadly unpopular and confronted with ruptures in Mr. Trump’s base over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, they risk being met with angry questions for which they have no easy answers. […] Mr. Flood admitted to voters earlier this summer at a town hall that he had not read the entire bill before voting to pass it. The August recess marks the first extended period of time that lawmakers have returned home since Mr. Trump signed the bill into law on July 4.” [New York Times, 8/5/25]
- Flood “Admitted During A Town Hall Meeting In His District That He Did Not Know That The Bill Would Limit Judges' Power To Hold People In Contempt For Violating Court Orders” And Said He Would Not Have Voted For The Measure If He Realized. According to New York Times, “When Republicans muscled their sweeping domestic policy bill through the House by a single vote after an overnight debate, they breathed a sigh of relief, enjoyed a celebratory moment at sunrise and then retreated to their districts for a weeklong recess. Not even two weeks later, the victory had, for some, given way to regret. It turns out that the legislation to advance tax and spending cuts and cement much of President Donald Trump's domestic agenda included a raft of provisions that drew little notice or debate on the House floor. And now Republicans who rallied behind it are claiming buyer's remorse about measures they swear they did not know were included. Last week, Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska admitted during a town hall meeting in his district that he did not know that the bill would limit judges' power to hold people in contempt for violating court orders. He would not have voted for the measure, he said, if he had realized.” [New York Times, 6/3/25]
¶ Flood Was A Member Of The Republican Study Committee, Which Supported Turning medicare into a voucher system
As Of January 2025, Flood Was A Member Of The Republican Study Committee.
[Republican Study Committee Website via Wayback Machine, “Membership,” Viewed 1/2/25 via archive.org]
¶ The Republican Study Committee Budget Has Proposed Raising Health Care Costs For Seniors By Switching To A “Premium Support” System
The Republican Study Committee’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposed A “Premium Support” Model For Medicare Beneficiaries. According to the Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal, "The RSC budget would implement a premium support model where private, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans would compete with a federal Medicare plan (the ‘Fed Plan’) that would offer the traditional Medicare benefits received through Part A, B, and D. Medicare Advantage (MA) plans provide the same services as Medicare but are administered by private health insurance providers. Under this plan, Medicare’s trust funds would be merged into a singular fund that would be responsible for paying premium support subsidies to cover the vast majority of their premium costs. This new singular trust fund would be funded with revenues from existing payroll taxes, Part B premiums, and Part B and D cost sharing—which would help ensure continued traditional Medicare benefits remain available. This framework would ensure seniors, whether they choose a private plan or the Fed Plan, receive more affordable, high-quality coverage." [Republican Study Committee FY 2025 Budget Proposal, 3/20/24]
The Republican Study Committee’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Proposed A “Premium Support” Model For Medicare Beneficiaries. According to Roll Call, "The plan offered by the 175-member Republican Study Committee would gradually raise the age at which future retirees can start claiming full Social Security benefits from 67 to 69, a politically fraught proposal that’s all but certain to appear in Democratic campaign ads. The document also proposes a ‘premium support’ plan that would subsidize private insurance options that compete with traditional Medicare. That would be similar to budget plans proposed by Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., during his tenure in Congress that were panned by Democrats and some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump." [Roll Call, 6/14/23]
Republicans’ Proposal To Switch To A Medicare “Premium Support” System Would Result In Most Beneficiaries Paying More For Health Care Than They Do Under Current Laws. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priority, "Under premium support, Medicare would make a fixed-dollar payment (often called a voucher) for each beneficiary to defray part of the cost of health insurance — either through a private plan or a form of traditional Medicare. The beneficiary’s premium would equal the difference between the voucher amount and the cost of the plan that he or she selected. Premium support would apply to all new beneficiaries starting in 2024 and to any other beneficiaries who chose to participate. Unlike the current system, in which Part B premiums are generally the same for all beneficiaries, premiums under the House GOP plan would vary by region and by plan. Although the GOP plan lacks the details to assess its impact on beneficiaries, most beneficiaries enrolled in traditional Medicare would pay more than under current law, according to the Congressional Budget Office. " [Center on Budget and Policy Priority, 7/26/16]
¶ Flood Was A Member Of The Republican Study Committee, Which Advocated For Raising The Social Security Retirement Age
¶ Flood Was A Member Of The Republican Study Committee, Which Supported raising the social security retirement age
As Of January 2025, Flood Was A Member Of The Republican Study Committee.
[Republican Study Committee Website via Wayback Machine, “Membership,” Viewed 1/2/25 via archive.org]
¶ the republican study committee has long advocated for raising the social security retirement age
The Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal Included “Modest Adjustments To The Retirement Age For Future Retirees To Account For Increases In Life Expectancy.” According to the Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal, “For instance, the RSC Budget would make modest changes to the primary insurance amount (PIA) benefit formula for individuals who are not near retirement and earn more than the wealthiest PIA benefit factor. It would also make modest adjustments to the retirement age for future retirees to account for increases in life expectancy. Finally, for these individuals, it would limit and phase out auxiliary benefits for high income earners.” [Republican Study Committee FY 2025 Budget Proposal, 3/20/24]
The Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Plan Included Raising The Age Of Eligibility For Social Security Benefits To 69. According to Roll Call, “The largest bloc of House conservatives offered up a fiscal blueprint Wednesday that promises to balance the federal budget in seven years, make GOP tax cuts permanent, and slash domestic spending. The plan offered by the 175-member Republican Study Committee would gradually raise the age at which future retirees can start claiming full Social Security benefits from 67 to 69, a politically fraught proposal that’s all but certain to appear in Democratic campaign ads. The document also proposes a ‘premium support’ plan that would subsidize private insurance options that compete with traditional Medicare. That would be similar to budget plans proposed by Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., during his tenure in Congress that were panned by Democrats and some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.” [Roll Call, 6/14/23]
The Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposal Called For The “Gradual Increase Of The Normal Retirement Age.” According to the Republican Study Committee FY 2023 Budget, “This trend, which will continue to increase financial pressure on Social Security, is a result of the aging U.S. population. To partially address this issue, the full retirement was raised to 67 in 2022 for those born in 1960 and later. The Social Security Reform Act would simply continue the gradual increase of the normal retirement age that current law has set in motion at a rate of three months per year until it is increased by three years for those reaching age 62 in 2040, 18 years from now.” [Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2023 Budget via Wayback Machine, 8/5/22]
The Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Proposal Called To “Reform The Full Retirement Age To Track Life Expectancy.” According to a press release from the Republican Study Committee, “The RSC Budget puts Social Security on a permanent path to solvency without adjusting benefits for any Americans in or near retirement. It would: Increase the minimum benefit up to 40% of average wages for those that worked 40 years or more. • Reform the full retirement age to track life expectancy.” [Press Release – Republican Study Committee, Viewed 11/25/25]
The Republican Study Committee Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal Included Phasing In “An Increase In Eligibility Age To 70” For Social Security. According to the Republican Study Committee FY 2020 Executive Summary, “MAKING SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENT - without reform, will be depleted by 2035, cutting benefits by 25 percent • implements the Social Security Reform Act to achieve long-term sustainable solvency • phases in an increase of the eligibility age to 70 and indexes life expectancy to keep up with increases in longevity ” [Republican Study Committee, “RSC Budget FY 2020: Preserving American Freedom,” Viewed 11/25/25]
¶ The Center For American Progress Estimated That Raising The Retirement Age Would Cost Future Retirees Thousands In Benefits Every Year
According To The Center For American Progress, Raising The Retirement Age Would Cost The Median-Wage Retiree Thousands In Benefits Every Year. According to the Center for American Progress, “One policy that has continually been included in RSC budget proposals for years is an increase to Social Security’s full retirement age (FRA), the age at which seniors become eligible to access Social Security retirement benefits without a financial penalty for retiring early. The FRA is 67 under current law, but the RSC plan would push it back to 69, leading to drastic benefit cuts for a large majority of Americans. […] This higher FRA would cut Social Security benefits. According to Center for American Progress analysis, an FRA of 69 would cut benefits for all new retirees between roughly 12.5 percent and 14.3 percent by the time it is fully phased in. In addition, it would cost a median-wage retiree who earned $70,000 in 2022 and turns 62 in 2034 thousands of dollars every year.” [Center for American Progress, 7/31/24]
- After Receiving Social Security For 10 Years, The Median-Wage Retiree Would Lose Nearly $100,000 In Retirement Benefits. According to the Center for American Progress, “However, the dollar amount of the cut would not be static each year. To account for inflation, Social Security benefits are updated with cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), which the Social Security Administration expects to equal 2.4 percent each year after 2025, according to its intermediate cost projections. After accounting for these COLAs, the median-wage retiree would lose between $46,104 and $99,252 after 10 years of receiving Social Security.” [Center for American Progress, 7/31/24]
¶ Flood Championed Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Cuts That Hamstrung The Social Security Agency
¶ Flood supported DOGE even as he faced backlash from Nebraskans
Flood On The Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE): “We Are Making Progress Identifying Places That We Can Reduce The Budget, And This Is Something.” According to Lincoln Journal Star, “‘I get it,’ Flood said in response. ‘There's a lot of people in this room that don't support what DOGE is doing.’ ‘But for the first time, we are making progress identifying places that we can reduce the budget, and this is something,’ he said, before he was drowned out by jeers.” [Lincoln Journal Star, 3/19/25]
- Daily Mail: “Flood Was Booed Mercilessly By Attendees At His Event In Columbus, NE As He Defended Spending Cuts By The Administration Carried Out By DOGE.” According to Daily Mail, “Flood was booed mercilessly by attendees at his event in Columbus, NE as he defended spending cuts by the administration carried out by DOGE.” [Daily Mail, 3/19/25]
Lincoln Journal Star: “At Every Turn, Flood Declined To Criticize DOGE, Its Leader Or Its Tactics, Which Have Prompted Federal Lawsuits And Worried Federal Auditors.” According to Lincoln Journal Star, “Attendees repeatedly urged Flood to speak out against Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency that has laid off at least 25,000 federal workers, an unknown portion of which are Nebraskans. At every turn, Flood declined to criticize DOGE, its leader or its tactics, which have prompted federal lawsuits and worried federal auditors.” [Lincoln Journal Star, 3/19/25]
Flood: “When You Cut Spending, You Have To Make Difficult Decisions, And Those Difficult Decisions Mean Finding Government Efficiencies” According to Lincoln Journal Star, “‘When you cut spending, you have to make difficult decisions, and those difficult decisions mean finding government efficiencies,’ he said. ‘And for that reason, for the first time in decades, we have a president that is cutting spending, and he is looking to find efficiencies, and I support that effort.’ One woman asked about Trump's cut to National Institutes of Health grants that help fund research to develop cures and treatments for diseases including cancer and pointed out Flood's wife survived breast cancer. The congressman said all the funding wouldn't vanish and he cited DOGE's work, which had identified some grant funding to suspend or trim.” [Lincoln Journal Star, 3/19/25]
¶ Flood Said He Was “Excited” About Federal Cuts From DOGE
Flood Said He Was “Excited” About Federal Cuts. According to an interview with Rep. Mike Flood on CNN, “FLOOD: And I'm as excited as anybody to get through this, because for me, the federal deficit is my number one issue. And I think the more we're talking about it, America is winning, because we're paying attention to it. Democrats are paying attention to it. Republicans are paying attention to it. This is actually very positive, but we need to let the process work.” [CNN Newsroom, 3/5/25] (video)
¶ Flood Suggested DOGE Cuts Were Necessary
Flood On DOGE Cuts: “If We Can Continue To Cut The Budget And Grow Our Economy, That Is The Recipe For Getting Ourselves Out Of The Hole That We're In. Is There Always More Room To Cut? Yes, But We Have To Find Where We Can Get 218 Votes In The House. We Did That. Now It's The Senate's Turn, And I'm Confident They'll Get There.” According to an interview with Rep. Mike Flood on CNN, “HOST: You also support DOGE, and they do appear to be a little bit in conflict as Elon Musk is saying, the bill undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. How do you see it? FLOOD: Well, perfect is the enemy of good. At the end of the day, we have to look at the big picture. This is the first time in literally generations that we've made these kinds of cuts to mandatory spending. Sure, we always trim around the edges with discretionary spending. Most of our spending is on the mandatory side. Here you have well over a trillion dollars in reductions, continued tax cuts that are extended. If we can continue to cut the budget and grow our economy, that is the recipe for getting ourselves out of the hole that we're in. Is there always more room to cut? Yes, but we have to find where we can get 218 votes in the House. We did that. Now it's the Senate's term, and I'm confident they'll get there.” [CNN Newsroom, 5/28/25] (video)
February 2025: Flood Said The Work Of The Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “Is Long Overdue.” According to Rep. Mike Flood’s Twitter, “Sunshine on spending will lead to change. The work of @elonmusk and @DOGE is long overdue. It's disgusting that US AID has spent hard-earned taxpayer money on things like sex change surgeries in Guatemala and travel for models to Fashion Week in Paris.” [Twitter, @USRepMikeFlood, 2/4/25]
¶ Flood Championed DOGE Cuts Despite The Impact It Was Having On Nebraskans
In Response To Questions From Constituents About DOGE Cuts, Flood Said “People Don't Like Change.” According to an interview with Rep. Mike Flood on CNN, “HOST: Do you think DOGE needs to improve? FLOOD: Well, just the first part of your question there, what really surprised me last night and you just played a clip of it, I'm glad you did, when I said we need to balance the budget. That's not a red issue or a blue issue. That's an American issue. And I was somewhat surprised at the pushback on saying that we need to balance our budget. You know, the state of Nebraska does that a lot of states do that. It's absolutely something we have to do or the problems we're talking about today. They compound themselves by hundred times. At the end of the day, I did get a lot of questions about DOGE. I got a lot of questions about the process and, you know, when somebody asked me afterwards, you know, what do you think is going on here? And I said, well, people don't like change. People don't like change.” [CNN Newsroom, 3/5/25] (video)
- HEADLINE: "Rep. Flood: DOGE Cuts Will Cause Small Adjustment Period." [NewsNation, 3/28/25]
Flood Endorsed DOGE’s Efforts After The Department Terminated The Lease Of A Building In Lincoln Used As A Local Hub For The Department Of Agriculture And A Resource Local Farmers. According to Flatwater Free Press, “For more than 15 years, the brick building in south Lincoln has served as a local hub for the U.S. Department of Agriculture a place where farmers meet face to face with federal workers overseeing complex conservation projects on their land. But last month, the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk, moved to cancel the building's lease months early and claimed it saved taxpayers more than $62,000. […] Musk and DOGE say the lease terminations target ‘unused’ and ‘underutilized’ buildings and amount to about $500 million in savings. DOGE has not explained how it arrived at that figure and did not respond to questions posed by Flatwater. U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, a Republican who represents Lincoln and parts of eastern Nebraska, endorsed DOGE's efforts to shrink the federal workforce. ‘DOGE has been working to shrink the federal workforce,’ he said in an emailed statement.” [Flatwater Free Press, 3/18/25]
¶ At The Social Security Administration, DOGE 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]
HEADLINE: “DOGE Cuts Trim Funding For Arts And Humanities Efforts In Minnesota” [MinnPost, 4/8/25]
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]
¶ More than 125,000 Nebraskans in the 1st congressional district relied on social security benefits
125,323 Nebraskans In The 1st Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2025, 125,323 Nebraskans in the 1st congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Nebraska, 2025]