Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation took a stand against DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, during a rally outside the Social Security Administration Headquarters in Woodlawn on Monday afternoon.
Semafor reported last week that the agency tasked with benefits to elderly and disabled could be among the next on the list for scrutiny by the unit run by unelected billionaire Elon Musk.
“Every time you hear DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency — you just remember it is the ‘department of government evil,’” said District 7 Congressman Kweisi Mfume to the crowd of well over one-hundred civilians who joined the demonstration.
Democratic leaders decried the non-governmental unit’s lack of transparency and accountability, in addition to what they described as its “attack” on civil servants. DOGE, led by unelected billionaire and world’s richest man Elon Musk, has tried to make sweeping reductions to the federal workforce — many of which are currently held up in federal courts.
“There's no check and balance from Mr. Musk, who has billions of dollars in self interest with contracts with this federal government and foreign governments,” said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth as the mention of Musk brought jeers of "boo" and "shame". Elfreth represents District 3, which she estimates is home to 44,000 federal workers.
“He has his hands on our data and is systematically coming for civil servants across this country.”
Elfreth called on House Republicans to cross the party line to condemn DOGE– it requires three votes to tip the scale, she noted.
The Social Security Administration is a major employer in Baltimore County with more than 11,000 people employed at its Woodlawn Headquarters, according to the administration’s website. Those are numbers that have been falling, according to former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’ Malley.
“House Republicans have cut this agency to a 50-year low, and now the unelected co-president wants to cut Social Security even further,” said O’ Malley, referring to Musk.
Democratic lawmakers worried government cuts could cause chaos for the approximately 68 million Americans who receive monthly social security payouts.
