Top Democrats came to a federal building in Albany that could be sold off by DOGE Friday to push back against cuts to the federal government.
In March, the Leo W O'Brien Federal building in Albany was included on a list of "non-core" federal properties identified by the U.S. General Services Administration
Under the direction of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, the GSA had identified more than 440 properties to be sold. A day later, the list was removed online and the GSA published a statement saying the divestment of non-core assets would save taxpayers more than $430 million in annual operating costs.
But top New York Democrats including U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Kathy Hochul, and others say the Trump administration's plan to close government offices will harm residents — particularly seniors.
Gillibrand spoke at a press conference in Albany Friday.
“My office has been working closely with one disabled woman from Niagara County who was told by the Social Security Administration to call a specific representative's extension by the end of March, or her application could be denied. She's called every day, sometimes more than once a day, has left messages every time she's called. After a month, she has still not received a call back,” Gillibrand said.
The SSA says most hearings are held online and that the administration "no longer needs these underutilized rooms."
Governor Hochul says the closure of a White Plains office places an undue burden on seniors.
“That requires seniors who may not have easy access to get around, to go from their community and travel across five to seven different counties. How are they going to get there? If they need services in person?” Hochul said.
Gillibrand says any closures need to be addressed urgently. She says 4 million New Yorkers depend on Social Security.
“Retirees in their 60s and 70s are worried that if they can't get access to their money, these are their Social Security dollars that they have invested for their retirement, that if they can't get access to their money, they will either have to return to work or God knows what else,” Gillibrand said.
Hochul called on seven House Republicans in New York to speak out against cuts pursued by President Trump. She also condemned Musk, saying President Franklin Roosevelt meant Social Security to be "untouchable."
“Maybe he didn't count on some billionaire from South Africa who'd be trying to scrap his program, someone who actually called it a Ponzi scheme. When Americans heard that, chills went down their spines. This man has enormous power for an unelected official, and he's using it to destroy the very fabric of our safety nets,” Hochul said.
Rebecca Preve is Executive Director of the Association on Aging in New York. She says Social Security is the only source of income for 40 percent of recipients, many of whom are already facing hours-long call wait times and lengthy drives to the nearest hearing office.
“Individuals are expected to drive well over an hour to access their local Social Security office if they're even able to obtain an appointment. To put this in perspective, most of the state does not have robust transportation services, and most of the state does not have paratransit services. For individuals utilizing wheelchairs or walkers for individuals that are unable to drive, insisting on an in-person visit is equal to refusing services,” Preve said.
State Senator Pat Fahy chairs the Senate Disabilities Committee. The Democrat from the 46th district says the White House claim that closing offices makes government more efficient is hypocrisy.
“It is about creating financial insecurity and trauma, if you will, such that we can shift payments, shift resources to the ultra-wealthy. Make no mistake, this is about the ultra-wealthy when all we need to do is close a few tax loopholes instead of raiding these retirement benefits,” Fahy said.
The SSA this month announced it would begin recouping overpayments of Social Security benefits by taking 100 percent of a recipient's monthly benefit — up from its prior policy of 10 percent.
The SSA says the new policy implemented on Thursday will amount to a savings of $7 billion over the next decade.
Meantime, Gillibrand is urging constituents angered by the rollbacks to make their voices heard.
“Stories need to be published. They need to be lifted up through the news, through social media, through community conversations, so that people can assess this is not. What we voted for, they need to assess that. Our democracy relies on truth and relies on facts, and so our job is to lift up the facts,” Gillibrand said.
