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Council opposes Social Security office closures and cuts; local SSA staff urge support
Summary
The Common Council voted unanimously to oppose proposed Social Security Administration office closures and cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security; local SSA staff told the council the Madison field office has been sharply reduced in personnel.
The City of Madison Common Council adopted a resolution opposing proposed Social Security Administration (SSA) field-office closures and other cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security programs, adding all alders and the mayor as sponsors and recording a unanimous vote under suspension of the rules.
Gretchen Lowe, a registrant and community organizer, urged support for the resolution and criticized federal actions she said were intended to weaken public benefit administration. Lowe cited a fact sheet she associated with Social Security beneficiaries and urged the council to protect residents who rely on benefits.
Jessica Lapointe, a claims specialist who identified herself as an employee at the Madison SSA field office on Odana Road and a representative of the American Federation of Government Employees, told the council the Madison office has lost roughly half its frontline staff over three years (from about 28 to 14 employees) and has sometimes had to route claims to community offices outside Madison because of staffing shortages. Lapointe said staffing at SSA is at a 50-year low while beneficiary numbers are at an all-time high; she said roughly 10,000 Americans reach retirement age each day and that the office is struggling to meet demand.
The council moved and seconded to adopt the resolution under suspension. After adding sponsors by unanimous consent, the council recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the resolution.
