Image by Mariia Chalaya.
Adult children need to prepare for taking in their elderly parents or in-laws if President-elect Trump’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) starts operations in the new year. Its co-chairs, billionaire appointees Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aim to extract $2 trillion collectively from every federal government department and agency’s budgets—and their future existance.
First target to be audited for drastic pruning of “waste, fraud, and abuse”: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Last: probably the Pentagon.
Worse, Trump just tapped a long-time executive in banking and finance circles and his wifely donor ($931,000 in 2024 )—Frank Bisignano —to boss the Social Security Administration’s 1,200 field offices and nearly 60,000 employees .
At least two Social Security protection organizations registered an instant outcry because nothing in Bisignano’s career “suggests that he understands the unique needs of older and disabled Americans.” Or that he knows Social Security funds come from employees’ lifetime paycheck deductions. In 2023, the total deduction was 7.65% which includes 1.4% for Medicare and 6.2% for Old Age and Survivors/Disability Insurance (OASDI). Like life insurance payments, proceeds are distributed monthly to those 65 and older.
Funds are not drawn from the federal government’s taxpayer dollars, but the U.S. Treasury’s Social Security’s locked trust fund held by the U.S. Treasury. Further, it and Medicare are not entitlements. They are employee-paid wage deductions. Signed into law on August 14, 1935 by president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Social Security Act’s withdrawal rules stipulate funds can be used only for “paying benefits and program administration costs.”
Warning flags are up that Trump plans refusing to release the funds (impoundment ) voted by Congress for social programs like these vital three. President Nixon vainly tried that ploy and was sharply rebuked and reminded the Constitution demands “[The president] shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Congress fought that usurpation of its Constitutional powers with the 1974 Impoundment Control Act (ICA).
Still worse, Musk and Ramaswamy just raced to Congress, successfully lining up support from both Republicans and a few Democrats to ultimately destroy Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) crowed:
“You are going to see a bicameral cooperation and it will, by the way, be bipartisan, over the last 24-48 hours you’ve seen a number of our Democratic colleagues both in the Senate and the House who have said, ‘You know what, sign me up, I want to be a part of this as well.’ ”
However, perhaps many like Sen. Bernie Sanders did so to scuttle any action on these programs—perhaps also to eliminate Trump’s outsider DOGE’s contractor assassins.
Since Social Security’s passage during the Great Depression, its enemies have wanted to strangle it in the cradle for the last 89 years. The House vote for their creation was 372-33 for yes (81 yeses were Republican); 25 not voting, 2 present. Senate tally was: 77-6 yes (5 yeses were Republican); 12 not voting.
Roosevelt called it “Social Insurance” in his radio Fireside Chat to educate the public about the Social Security Act months before that vote. His intent was to prepare them for pejoratives (“Sometimes they will call it “Fascism”, sometimes “Communism”, sometimes “Regimentation”, sometimes “Socialism”). He added this timeless comment:
“The most vociferous of the doubting Thomases may be divided roughly into two groups: First, those who seek special political privilege and, second, those who seek special financial privilege. … It is well for us to remember that humanity is a long way from being perfect and that a selfish minority in every walk of life—farming, business, finance and even Government service itself—will always continue to think of themselves first and their fellow-being second.
In the working out of a great national program which seeks the primary good of the greater number, it is true that the toes of some people are being stepped on and are going to be stepped on. But these toes belong to the comparative few who seek to retain or to gain position or riches or both by some shortcut which is harmful to the greater good. In the execution of the powers conferred on it by Congress, the Administration needs and will tirelessly seek the best ability that the country affords.”
When president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law (July 30, 1965), he also explained it in simple terms for the public:
“During your working years, the people of America—you—will contribute through the Social Security program a small amount each payday for hospital insurance protection.
For example, the average worker in 1966 will contribute about $1.50 per month. The employer will contribute a similar amount. And this will provide the funds to pay up to 90 days of hospital care for each illness, plus diagnostic care, and up to 100 home health visits after you are 65. And beginning in 1967, you will also be covered for up to 100 days of care in a skilled nursing home after a period of hospital care.”
In 2024, Social Security checks have been sent so far to nearly 68,000,000 recipients . For most, it’s their major source of income. Considering they’ll immediately spend it, the $1.5 trillion paid out from their lifetime earnings certainly helps the U.S. business economy.
Let’s return to Grandma’s need of shelter, food, and medical services if Congress and Trump succeed in killing those three crucial programs. It will open the past, leaving her destitute and dependent on her adult children—or the kindness of strangers on the street. Poor houses will reappear, and suicide rates will soar.
For centuries, Moses’ Fifth Commandment had ordered children to honor their parents (Exodus 20:12). Other religions and cultures did the same elsewhere. If these prods were defied, “relative-responsibility” laws forced obedience. So these essentials were provided mostly by exhausted and exasperated grown children and covered at their expense. Elder-abuse , matricide, and fratricide had to be globally spread. The advent of nursing homes and today’s 30,600 assisted-living facilities are currently solving that problem for 181,800 seniors if they can afford the median monthly charges ($5,511 ). If not, daughters and daughters-in-law—on whom caretaking usually falls—better expect the following daily duties:
• 24/7 monitoring health/safety
• toileting
• changing diapers 3-4 times per day
• hair cutting and combing
• inserting/removing hearing aids and dentures
• dressing and undressing
• bathing
• making the bed
• helping with ambulation equipment
• room cleaning
• preparing 3 meals per day
• feeding
• conversing/entertaining
• arguing/fighting
• care criticism from spouse/family
• laundry/dry-cleaning services
• transporting to/from appointments/activities
• picking up pharmaceuticals/other goods
• ordering supplies
• accident/ailment care
• paying for Grandma’s food, shelter, medical care
• time spent on all these responsibilities
Indeed, it’s a pity that Musk, Ramaswamy, Bisignano, and lifelong opponents of these programs in Congress like Utah Sen. Mike Lee (“The government promises you security, but gives you dependency”) have escaped those daily duties by hiring help and ensuring housing Grandma—elsewhere. Sons might do that on a reduced scale, but children generally resent paying for her upkeep. To say nothing about her disruption to family life.
Given all these factors, the question from the 1930s to today is why are Trump, his dynamic duo (Musk and Ramaswamy), and past/present Republicans in Congress are so passionately opposed to what they perceive to be “welfare handouts” permitting Grandma to live independently.
Again, recipients, not taxpayers, have paid for Social Security and Medicare. It costs most families little compared to pre-1936 days when all came out of the family pocketbook. Too, if elders’ spending those checks significantly boosts the American economy—especially retail businesses and assisted living facilities—why spend taxpayer millions on DODG investigating to eliminate these critical services?
The real reasons behind this decades-old vicious campaign to kill those programs are their proponents lack of courage to be open and honest with the public about their selfish motives to harm seniors.
One reason obviously is that elitists believe the “masses”—especially the elderly— don’t deserve pensions and/or health care, especially if it becomes increasingly expensive. Another is Hitler and his Nazis’ genocidal view that the elderly are purposeless and “useless eaters” requiring care and feeding that should be spent on younger generations. Add that Wall Streeters want the working class to invest in stocks and bonds, arguing returns would be far greater than Social Security’s guaranteed monthly check. Unfortunately, most recipients know about stock market crashes and aren’t about to gamble with their paychecks.
Moreover, because employers must match an employee’s Social Security deduction, some of us have concluded they are quietly using donor contributions to pressure Congress to end this law’s mandate. For 2023, paycheck deductions totaled $1,107 billion so half were employers’ contributions ($553.5 billion), a significant overhead expense cutting into profits.
So how can these programs be saved from the Congressional axe?
Now, the chief charges against these programs seem to be suspected “waste, fraud, and abuse.” If so, wouldn’t it be far more appropriate and effective to use the existing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to investigate and send any refunds to the trusts’ “lockboxes” and Social Security recipients? Two years ago, it published a 52-page report (Recovering [Money] from Elder Financial Exploitation), a definitive focus on theft of money and property by scammers and family members, and suggesting methods of recovery.
Since its creation nearly 13 years ago, CFPB has developed the skills to have wrung $19.6 billion in fines from those businesses and institutions cheating consumers, and used it for restitution payments to 195 million victims. So why not use that bureau to police all federal departments and agencies for “waste, fraud, and abuse,” particularly the Pentagon which has just failed its seventh mandated audit. Shifting this project to CFPB’s expert sleuths would save millions of tax dollars on duplicating efforts by DOGE’s new and inexperienced staff. The savings could be used to expand CFPB.
Another solution is to arouse adult children —or Grandma—to call the Capitol’s switchboard operator (202-224-3121) to transfer them to individual Senators or House members to register a complaint about any tinkering with those three programs. Once connected, they also can request email addresses to repeat their message.
In addition, Social Security has several non-profit and grassroot organizations which undoubtedly will be holding local and national town hall meetings, rallies, and marches to fight for the programs. First-time demonstrators usually take a friend or family members to participate. Congress does pay attention to numbers they can see.
Then, there are grassroot websites like former Labor Secretary Robert Reich’s Inequality Media who’ll lobby for small and large donors with a multi-media campaign to stop any dismantling of Social Security and Medicare. He just wrote:
“Elon Musk is coming after Social Security and Medicare….There’s no possible way to cut 30% of the federal budget without major cuts to Social Security and Medicare, but the corporate media didn’t pay attention. So now we’re sounding the alarm across social media and mobilizing grassroots support to pressure members of Congress to oppose Musk’s plan….”
Further, people can talk about this issue with relatives, co-workers, fellow church-goers, fraternal friends, sports groups, senior organization, and the like. In other words, anyone can carry the message against Congress betraying the Grandmas who have earned its benefits all their working lives.
Centuries ago, Grandmas—and Grandpas—were relegated to basements, attics, and back bedrooms and largely ignored until they died. But thanks to Social Security and Medicare, that heartless, benign-neglect treatment is no more. Let it continue to s remain so.
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