Former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley urges Democrats to 'not let up' on Social Security

Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley’s Win Back Our Country PAC called on Democrats to “not let up” on protecting the entitlement program upfront on Monday amid concerns over potential cuts to the program. 

In a memo exclusively obtained by The Hill, O’Malley accuses the Trump administration of leading a campaign to “break” the Social Security Administration in an effort to “rob the American People of their trust fund”  and argues the strategy is “backfiring.” 

“Our polling, the energy of the American people demonstrating in the streets, and the results of early elections are proof positive our fight to protect social security is a winning position and Leader Jeffries’ message is working,” the memo from the group reads. 

“That's why the White House doesn’t want anyone talking about it. Americans are fired up and ready to fend off attacks on their social security benefits. We must illustrate the stakes, firmly place blame for the uncertainty and fragility of the Trump/Musk induced fragility of the program, and tell the American people what we are doing to protect their benefits now and into the future.” 

O’Malley’s group cites polling from Navigator Research, showing 85 percent of Americans opposing any cuts to the program. The same poll found that 48 percent of respondents said they believe Republicans are to blame for attacks on benefits. 

The memo comes days after Frank Bisignano was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA) after decades on Wall Street as the CEO of Fiserv and other top positions at major U.S. banks. 

During the first 100 days of his administration, Trump and top administration officials, including Elon Musk, have touted efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to crackdown on what they say is waste fraud and abuse in the SSA. 

Democrats, in turn, have warned that Trump and Republicans could move to make cuts to the agency through Congress or DOGE. The party has also signaled that the issue could play in its messaging ahead of next year’s midterm elections. 

But Republicans on Capitol Hill have also voiced concerns about the future of the SSA. 

Last week, 15 House Republicans warned Bisignano in a letter to not make any more staffing cuts to the agency or shutter local offices, citing deteriorating customer service. 

"We must use caution and consider the impact any changes would have so there are no disruptions in services for our seniors and disabled who depend on the Social Security Administration to receive retirement benefits and supplemental security income," the letter reads. 

Over in the Senate, some Republicans have said they want DOGE to leave the program alone. 

In an interview on Sunday, Bisignano said he intends for the SSA to survive well into the 2100s. 

“We have no intent to break a system that can be improved,” Bisignano said during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“That team will get together, along with Senate and Congress, will ensure that this is here for the next 90 years, at least,” he said.