Larson Condemns New Trump Plan to Strip Disability Benefits

East Hartford, CT - Today, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) blasted the Trump Administration's latest proposal to deny Social Security disability benefits,calling it "cruel, reckless, and proof that Donald Trump never met a benefit he didn't want to cut."

This follows last month's plan by the White House to cut Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefitsfor up to 400,000 people. These cuts are reportedly priorities of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 architect who now serves as President Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

"It is not enough for Donald Trump to shut down the government so 15 million Americans lose their health care and millions more see their premiums skyrocket," said Larson. "Now he wants to go after Americans with disabilities - people who have worked their entire lives - only to be told they are on their own when they need help most. This is the same group of Trump operatives who threatened to raise the retirement age and gut Social Security. Whether it is health care, food assistance, or Social Security, Donald Trump's mission is the same: cut benefits for working people and hand the 'savings' to billionaires on Wall Street. Democrats will not let that happen. We will fight tooth and nail to protect the basic support Americans have earned. These programs are not giveaways, they are promises. Breaking those promises - that's not leadership - it's betrayal. Not on our watch!"

As of 2022, almost 42 percent of disability applicantswere found eligible due to their age, a factor that would be severely curtailed under the Trump Administration's new plan. In 2020, the Trump Administration weighed a similar ruleto restrict disability benefits in the middle of the COVID pandemic. Additionally, their plan to limit eligibility for SSI would reduce or eliminate benefits for nearly 400,000 Americans, including an estimated 4,300 Connecticut residents.