WASHINGTON— The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing turmoil as lawyers and senior officials from its Baltimore headquarters are reassigned to regional offices to replace experienced claims processors who were either fired or accepted buyouts under the Trump administration. However, these replacements lack the necessary expertise, causing significant delays for disabled and elderly Americans awaiting critical benefits, according to insiders.
An SSA spokesperson defended the reshuffling, stating that reassigned employees possess “extensive program knowledge.” Yet, critics argue that procedural familiarity doesn’t equate to operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), staff are grappling with unreliable internet after President Donald Trump mandated remote workers return to overcrowded offices. Employees now rely on personal hotspots, leading to system crashes during peak tax season, two IRS officials revealed. The agency declined to comment.
A Mission Derailed?
Nearly 100 days into the initiative dubbed “Doge”—a joint effort by Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk to streamline federal bureaucracy—Reuters uncovered 20 instances where staffing and budget cuts backfired. The fallout includes:
- Skyrocketing costs due to procurement bottlenecks.
- Decision-making gridlock across agencies.
- Lengthy public service delays.
- Highly paid officials performing menial tasks.
- An exodus of STEM talent.
Jessica Riedl, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, dismissed Doge as “not a serious exercise,” estimating it has saved just $5 billion to date—far less than the projected long-term costs.
Secrecy and Skepticism
Musk’s teams operate covertly within agencies, leaving employees in the dark. A Doge-run website claims $160 billion in taxpayer savings but has been riddled with errors. The White House cited examples like uncovering $630 million in fraudulent SBA loans and cutting $18 million in EPA leasing costs—though Reuters couldn’t verify these figures independently.
In a March Fox News interview, Musk defended the cuts, admitting to occasional missteps but emphasizing discoveries of “astonishing waste.”
Bureaucratic Blunders
Cost-cutting measures have led to absurd hurdles. At the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a scientist waited a month to secure approval for $200 of dry ice—a routine purchase—only to incur an extra $100 in shipping fees. Similar roadblocks plague other agencies, like the CDC, where a $500,000 chemical analyzer sits unused because staff can’t coordinate vendor training due to communication bans.
Collateral Damage
- SSA’s aging IT systems crash repeatedly, with fewer staff to reboot them.
- USAID’s humanitarian programs were slashed by 80%, with most employees set to be fired by September.
- 260,000 federal workers have been dismissed or resigned since Doge’s launch.
- Inspectors general, including Christi Grimm (who recovered $14.5 billion in fraud), were ousted.
Even efficiency-focused teams like 18F—which once saved the Pentagon $500 million in three days—were axed as “non-critical.” Former 18F member Waldo Jaquith lamented, “They destroyed the very model they claim to champion.”
What’s Next?
Musk confirmed he’ll step back from Doge in May but will continue advising Trump part-time. With morale plummeting and chaos escalating, the initiative’s legacy may be one of disruption over progress.
