As DOGE triggered mass federal layoffs and agency slowdowns, Barrett minimized the fallout, telling constituents programs were merely “paused and under review.” But DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing were affecting the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors. More than 171,000 Michiganders in Barrett’s district relied on Social Security benefits.
He defended Trump moves to slash National Institutes of Health funding, calling it a “reasonable approach,” even as Michigan State University leaders said proposed cuts would be a “deathblow” for critical medical research.
Barrett’s own March 2025 tele-town hall showed the backlash: 70% of participants said they disapproved of DOGE.
Barrett Claimed DOGE Was “Only Giving Recommendations.” According to the Associated Press, "Barrett opened a telephone town hall in his mid-Michigan district Monday night by addressing the flood of concerns over DOGE he said his office had been receiving. Barrett stressed that Musk is merely an adviser and said programs are ‘temporarily paused and under review.’ ‘I want to be very clear that this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid,’ he said. ‘Again, this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. It’s important to keep in mind that DOGE is only giving recommendations.’" [Associated Press, 3/15/25]
Barrett: “At The End Of The Day, We Have To Be Prepared To Make Tough Decisions To Streamline Our Government Agencies And Hopefully Save Us Money And Deliver Better Government Assistance To People Who Need It Most.” According to a tele-town hall hosted by Rep. Tom Barrett, “BARRETT: Thank you Michael, for the question And, you know, you're absolutely right. Our deficits have blown up in the last few decades as we've fought foreign wars that have lasted decades plural. We've committed American troops to foreign conflicts. We've, you know, expanded benefits to people, whether that's through Medicaid expansion, whether that's to other programs as a result. We certainly have an aging population and people that have taken advantage of the benefits that they've earned through programs that were set up decades ago. All of which have combined to stack up our deficit and overall grown our debt. You know, at the end of the day, we have to be prepared to make tough decisions to streamline our government agencies and hopefully save us money and deliver better government assistance to people who need it most by protecting programs that really are critical. I think we can all agree that there are certain programs that are really critical to beneficiaries that need to have access to them, and there are things that people have taken advantage of that we ought to be watchful against.” [Rep Tom Barrett Tele-Town Hall, 4/7/25] (audio)
HEADLINE: "Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett Defends NIH Cuts" [Heartland Signal, 3/31/25]
March 2025: Barrett’s Office Claimed Cutting NIH Grants Was A “Responsible Approach To Take” To Reduce The National Debt. According to the Heartland Signal, "‘The United States is nearly $37 trillion dollars in debt. Restructuring the NIH to align public and private research grants is a reasonable approach to take, especially when schools like Michigan State University are raising $6 billion dollars to advance their own research,’ a spokesperson for Barrett’s office said." [Heartland Signal, 3/31/25]
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]
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]
2024: 171,835 Michiganders In The 7th Congressional District Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 171,835 Michiganders in the 7th congressional district received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Michigan, 2024]