ICYMI: Senate Republicans Block Senator Markey’s Amendment to Protect Social Security Phone Service

Watch: Senator Markey slams Republican attempts to make accessing Social Security benefits more difficult for seniors

Washington (April 6, 2025) - On April 4, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) forced Republicans to vote on preserving phone services at the Social Security Administration so seniors can continue to access their earned benefits. Republicans voted down the amendment from passing. Below is an excerpt from Senator Markey's remarks on protecting Social Security phone service:

"Ten days from now, the DOGE chainsaw is threatening to cut phone services at the Social Security Administration. This Administration is proposing to force Grandma and Grandpa to go online or drive long distances to a field office - if it is still open - just to access their earned benefits. And why is this happening? Because of the lie that Social Security is rife with fraud.

"Republicans haven't been able to destroy Social Security yet, and we're not going to let Trump, Musk, or their billionaire buddies succeed in destroying Social Security with lies, cuts, and cruelty. We will NOT neglect the promise we made - and we will preserve security and dignified retirement for everyone."

Senator Markey is fighting to protect Social Security benefits for current and future generations. On March 28, Senator Markey hosteda press conference in Boston to spotlight how the Trump administration's attempts to gut Social Security impact Massachusetts residents. In February 2025, Senator Markey led his colleagues in a letter to Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) urging them to provide at least $15.402 billion for the Social Security Administration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, allowing for full and timely implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act, while improving customer service.

Senator Markey is an original cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law by President Biden in January 2025. TheSocial Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, which had reduced benefits for 3.2 million public servants. As a member of the House of Representatives in 1983, Markey was one of a handful of Democrats to vote against the Social Security Reform Act, which created WEP/GPO. Senator Markey is an original cosponsor of the Social Security Expansion Act to protect and expand Social Security benefits.

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