Top Dem introduces new legislation to safeguard Social Security

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has unveiled new legislation aimed at protecting Social Security. His bill comes following staffing cuts and service challenges that have impacted seniors across New York and the nation.

The proposed bill

The legislation comes as the Social Security trust fund nears potential depletion — and as pressure mounts on Congress to address both benefit sustainability and declining service quality for more than 60 million Americans. Schumer’s bill would prevent local office closures, add staffing, reduce delays, enhance data security and ensure seniors can access the benefits they’ve earned. “The idea is to counteract the steady decline in staffing while the number of beneficiaries continues to rise, especially in the Southern Tier states,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek.

Schumer’s statement

Schumer has spoken out against staffing cuts and office closures under President Donald Trump’s administration, calling for stronger federal investment to reverse declining service levels. “‘DOGE’ has already fired thousands of Social Security workers, and seniors are stuck with long wait times, overwhelmed phone lines and websites that keep crashing. It’s hitting local Social Security offices in the Southern Tier and Upstate New York, too, where we have seen nearly all local offices lose workers, with some losing more than a quarter of staff,” Schumer said in a statement. “If no one can take your call, if the website keeps crashing, if they fire the staff that processes your claims, if they make it impossible for you to get the help you need, that’s a cut to your Social Security benefits, and I won’t stand for it.”

2025 Social Security changes

In 2025, all Social Security beneficiaries received a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, impacting more than 72.5 million Americans. This boost, measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, raised the average monthly retirement benefit. Earlier this year, the Social Security Fairness Act ended benefit reductions for public servants with pensions from non-covered employment.

Next steps

Senate Democrats are expected to discuss the new legislation in September. If passed, it will block further office closures, expand staffing and improve services for beneficiaries nationwide. However, some analysts warn that Democrats have a slim chance of moving the bill forward. “Odds aren’t great,” Thompson said. “Washington is essentially gridlocked right now, and this runs counter to the current administration’s ideology. Democrats don’t have the votes to push it through on their own. The only real shot is if Republicans can be convinced it was their idea in the first place. Then it might have a chance.”

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