Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, recently hinted at potential cuts to federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration. During a House Budget Committee markup session on Thursday, Norman praised efforts by tech billionaire Elon Musk to reduce federal agency budgets and fire federal workers.
“We’ve got many more to come, like Social Security,” Norman said. “We have many more to come, like the Department of Education.”
According to the Washington Post, Musk’s initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, has made notable cuts amounting to $6 billion. However, this figure represents just 0.1% of the $2 trillion goal Musk initially identified for spending cuts.
Social Security reductions spark debate
To reach the $2 trillion target, DOGE would need to focus on “mandatory spending,” which includes earned benefits like Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, and interest on the national debt. Mandatory spending makes up a significant portion of total federal spending and is more difficult to cut than discretionary spending.
Norman is not the only Republican who has suggested cuts to Social Security. In December, former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu openly expressed hope that Republicans would raise the retirement age and implement reforms to the program. Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, commented, “Norman is just the latest Republican to tell us their plan.
Lawson added, “If you listen to the financial press, where Republicans are talking to their bosses, the billionaires, they openly talk about coming for ‘mandatory’ spending.
That is just a code word for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The Republicans are crystal clear when talking to Wall Street about what their plan is: massive tax handouts to billionaires and corporations paired with massive cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and, yes, Social Security too.
Proposed cuts to Social Security and other mandatory spending programs are likely to face significant public and political resistance, and the debate over federal spending is expected to intensify in the coming months.