Beverly Press Park Labrea News: Friedman demands answers on Social Security

Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) joined seniors in front of the Hollywood Social Security Office on April 4, asking the Trump administration for answers on how funding cuts have affected Social Security.

Friedman said there have been numerous issues for seniors, particularly due to staffing shortages. Phone calls and other inquiries have gone unanswered, and the future of many offices is in question. Some seniors are unable to visit offices in person, and some branches are expected to close this year – though which ones is uncertain.

While Social Security itself has not been eliminated, Friedman said the agency is attempting to avoid or delay paying beneficiaries by, among other things, declaring them dead.

“They’ve had a certain number of people that they have claimed are dead and have taken their benefits away – just saying that they’re no longer alive and then not being available [so people can] verify their existence,” she said in an interview.

At the press conference, Friedman highlighted two individuals affected by the uncertainty surrounding the agency, whose last names were not provided.

“Geo is 72 and worried Social Security won’t be there when she needs it. Lincoln served our country and now relies on it to get by,” Friedman said. These aren’t headlines – they’re hardworking Americans, my constituents. Now, at the same time, Trump and Musk are raising costs with a new tariff and shutting down access to the benefits people have earned. That’s not reform – it’s betrayal. We’re not going to let billionaires rewrite the rules while seniors pay the price. I’m demanding answers, and I’ll keep fighting to protect what people have worked for their whole lives.”

Friedman has sent a letter to Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek and to the Department of Government Efficiency about the potential of Social Security office closures in California’s 30th District – at a time when, she said, President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs could put an additional $3,800 a year in taxes for Americans and significantly raise the cost of everyday goods. As of April 9, she had not received a response.

“We did hear, sort of unofficially, that they are claiming they’re going to fix the phone problems and try to get people answering the phones,” Friedman said. “I would take that as a win, if they do that … that we’ve been able to create a lot of awareness about the fact that they don’t have people manning the phone anymore due to their really reckless cuts.”

In addition to questions revolving around Social Security, people with investments have endured a tumultuous week since Trump’s “Liberation Day” on April 2, when the president announced sweeping tariffs on nearly every country in the world. Those tariffs, except a 125% tax on China, were put on a 90-day hold April 9. The stock market has suffered historic losses, though it did recover somewhat after the pause was announced. Friedman called the tariffs “a self-inflicted crisis.”

“The situation shows that there is no grand plan. There’s no 3D chess [or] 4D chess being played here. It’s complete chaos and incompetence, and it’s creating a roller coaster on the stock market that is not helping ordinary people,” Friedman said. “Trump is still saying that this is a temporary pause, and they’re all going to come back. This is someone who seems like he makes decisions in the middle of the night and tweets and affects world markets by doing so. His own team didn’t seem to be aware of what he was doing and what he was planning. There’s no plan. There’s no strategy. There’s no ‘Art of the Deal’ being played. This is somebody who is rolling the dice every single day with people’s lives and retirements, and acting in a way that’s reckless and unbecoming of the world’s leading economy.”

Friedman said residents should contact her office via friedman.house.gov or by calling (818)524-4384 if they are experiencing issues related to Social Security or DOGE funding cuts. She added that those wishing to advocate for Social Security need to make their voices heard. She said she was heartened by the large scale protests that happened nationwide on April 5, including in Downtown Los Angeles.

“I think they’re getting the message,” Friedman said. “We need people to realize that they are the most powerful force in this country – not elected politicians. Their voices are heard, and they’re heard all the way up to the White House.”