Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, sounded the alarm over a Republican budget bill backed by President Donald Trump, warning that the administration is “making it harder” for many Americans to access Social Security.
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and the White House for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) sends monthly checks to some 70 million Americans and is widely considered the most-popular government program, paying retirement, survivor and disability benefits.
Trump has repeatedly promised not to make cuts to Social Security, striking a different tone from many other conservatives who have long called for reforms to the federal program. Critics of the president have repeatedly raised concerns that he’s misleading voters and aims to make cuts.
As Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, has spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to make drastic reductions across the federal government, Democrats have increasingly sounded the alarm over potential impacts to Social Security. In response, Trump and Musk have said they are merely trying to weed out waste, fraud and abuse.
What to Know
Sanders spoke out on the Senate floor Friday ahead of a vote on a Trump-backed budget bill, which ultimately passed early Saturday morning.
In a statement emailed to Newsweek, the progressive senator’s office described the GOP proposal as an “absurd budget that guts programs working class families rely on to pay for tax cuts for the rich.”
Sanders, who has rallied tens of thousands of supporters across the country in recent months on his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” took aim at a range of issues, and specifically highlighted concerns about Social Security.
“Maybe worst of all, at a moment when Mr. Musk and his billionaire friends are laying off thousands of workers at the Social Security Administration, closing down Social Security offices all over the country, and making it harder for people with disabilities and older people to get the benefits that they have paid into for their whole lives, this bill does nothing to address that crisis,” Sanders said.
The senator raised concerns about growing inequality in America, pointing to a slew of economic issues many Americans are struggling with. He said that the bill “actually makes income and wealth inequality much worse by providing massive tax breaks to the billionaires and the richest people in this country, driving up the national debt, and making those on top very, very happy.”
Republicans, who control the Senate, say the budget bill will prevent a $4 trillion tax increase on Americans.
“I am tired of hearing Democrats’ outrage over the fact that Republicans dared to let Americans keep more of their own money,” Thune wrote in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Friday. “I’m tired of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being characterized as a problem, when the REAL problem here is Democrat spending.”
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was Trump’s signature legislative achievement of his first term. The president and his allies have praised the measure as having dramatic benefits for the economy and giving tax breaks to Americans. Democrats, and nonpartisan analyses, have said the tax breaks largely went to the wealthiest Americans and contributed significantly to the ballooning national debt.
The new Senate Republican bill included billions of dollars’ worth of proposed tax cuts as well as additional funding for the U.S. military and border security. It would also raise the U.S. debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion, which is likely to trouble GOP fiscal hawks in the House.
The 51-48 vote, which ran into the early hours of Saturday morning, took place largely along party lines. GOP Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine voted against the bill.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, speaks during a rally on March 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver. Chet Strange/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, wrote on X on Friday: “I spoke tonight about the irresponsibility of raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. I applaud President Trump and the work of @DOGE—but those efforts mean little if we keep drowning the country in debt. Fiscal responsibility must come first.”
Senator Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, wrote on X on Friday: “Here’s the truth you won’t hear from Democrats tonight. This budget resolution stops a $4 trillion tax hike from hitting families and small businesses. Let’s pass this and get President Trump’s agenda done!”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday: “Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. And in voting for this budget bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires, against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump.”
What Happens Next?
The Senate vote was just an early step in the complex legislative process.
With the framework approved, the Trump administration is expected to push for a major new tax and spending bill to implement its policy commitments. This could run into difficulty in the House of Representatives where some Republicans are arguing the focus should be on controlling the U.S. national debt.
Progressives are expected to continue to raise concerns about government cuts under DOGE and the budget bill. They have consistently sounded the alarm about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid—which currently benefit tens of millions of Americans.
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