Summary
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed that most seniors would not complain if Social Security checks were missed, suggesting that only “fraudsters” would object.
His remarks sparked backlash as Social Security is a critical income source for millions, including 15% of women and 12% of men over 65 who rely on it for 90% of their income.
Amid rising concerns, Maryland Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander criticized acting SSA head Lee Dudek for threatening to cut IT access, escalating fears of disruptions.
The AARP has already started publicly lobbying against this move, and the for-profit institutions and their investors are probably doing so as well, but more privately because they don’t want to rub their leechiness in everyone’s face. So there is some small hope.