NEW JERSEY—Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) introduced the Protecting Retirement and Health Benefits for Working Families Act to safeguard Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans Affairs and other critical federal benefits and services.
Sherrill said she introduced the bill in response to federal programs and jobs being cut by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
"My legislation makes sure that before any cuts or office closures are enacted, the Trump administration must prove to Congress that these actions won’t harm the benefits Americans rely on," Sherrill said. "And if they do cause harm, this bill will force the Administration to undo the damage and reinstate employees. I refuse to sit by as an unelected billionaire lines his own pockets with the money that hardworking families, seniors and veterans have rightfully earned."
The Protecting Retirement and Health Benefits for Families Act would require several federal agencies (the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Internal Revenue Service and Department of Housing and Urban Development) to certify to Congress that any planned staffing cuts or regional office closures will not impact the provision of benefits or financial assistance to Americans.
The bill also requires the inspector general at each of those agencies to conduct a study, within one year, of any of these enacted certifications to ensure that layoffs/closures haven’t harmed benefit receipt, and if benefit receipt has been negatively impacted the agency will be required to reverse those layoffs or closures.
Sherrill’s office cited several examples where the Trump administration has attempted to gut critical federal agencies to pay for a tax cut for the ultra-wealthy:
- The Social Security Administration has enacted, or attempted to enact, mass staffing layoffs, phone service cuts and local and regional office closures. Since January, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut about 7,000 Social Security Administration jobs, or 12% of its entire workforce
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) attempted to cut billions of dollars in contracts, but was stopped after Democrats and veterans service organizations warned that it would hurt critical veterans’ health services. It also instituted a hiring freeze for more than 300,000 VA health jobs
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted DOGE access to agency systems and technologies. Washington Republicans are currently looking to cut $880 billion from Medicaid. HHS Secretary Kennedy has also announced plans to cut 10,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services, including 300 at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- DOGE is reportedly considering cutting the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s staff by as much as 50% and cutting half of the department’s regional offices