Donald Trump and Elon Musk are unilaterally gutting the Social Security Administration (SSA), making it harder and harder for Californians to access the benefits they rely on. Rep. David Valadao hasn’t lifted a finger to protect Social Security and the benefits we’ve worked hard for.

• As of early April, 7,000 Social Security Administration staff members have been fired, and another 3,000 will leave through buy outs in the coming weeks, making it harder for millions of Americans to access their benefits. DOGE is seeking to cut staff even further, increasing already unmanageable wait times.

• DOGE also plans to close an undisclosed number of SSA offices as the phone support and online systems become hard and harder to use with a dramatically reduced staff.

• Glitches in the already deteriorating online system have led to seniors being falsely informed that their benefits have ended.

Nearly 70 million people, or about 1 in 5 Americans, rely on Social Security to make ends meet. Last year, people were already waiting an average of 240 days for a benefits determination, and with these cuts, the waits will only get worse. Working Americans who have paid into Social Security for their whole lives will be increasingly unable to access the money they are owed.

Sign our petition to tell Rep. David Valadao he needs to stand up for us and protect our Social Security benefits!