SAN DIEGO (CNS) — As the Department of Government Efficiency continues its cuts across the federal government, North County was thrown into confusion as to the status of the Oceanside Social Security Administration office today.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, wasn't sure of the office's status.
"The DOGE website says the Carlsbad, CA Social Security Office has been closed, but technically there is no Carlsbad office (it's in Oceanside, just across the border with Carlsbad)," Levin wrote on the social media platform Threads. "I'm going to get to the bottom of what's happening. Hands off Social Security, Elon Musk!"
DOGE, headed by the billionaire SpaceX and Tesla founder at the behest of President Donald Trump to find and eliminate waste in government, has spent the last few weeks slashing budgets across the federal government, leaving many employees out of work or facing an uncertain future.
A statement from the SSA on Wednesday didn't shed much light on the situation.
"We are working with GSA to review our leases and ensure they are used efficiently," a Social Security Administration spokesman told City News Service. "Most of the leases we are not renewing are for small remote hearing sites that are co-located with other Federal space.
"As the majority of our hearings are held virtually, we no longer need as many in-person hearings locations. In fact, in FY24, twenty percent of these offices held no in-person hearings. Other offices are non-public facing, being consolidated into nearby locations, or we had planned to close. Social Security continuously monitors and evaluates the use of our office space to maximize efficiency for the American taxpayer," the statement added
If the Oceanside office is indeed closed, North County residents still have an office in San Marcos, as well as in San Diego and several other county locations.
The DOGE website has an "Agency Efficiency Leaderboard," featuring the agencies where the most money has purportedly been cut. However, the graphic offers virtually no transparency as to how much and where purported savings have come from. The SSA is ninth on the list, with the Department of Education number one.
The Social Security Administration already faces a major staffing challenge. Testifying before Congress last year, former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley said the agency "will serve over 7 million more beneficiaries with about 7,000 fewer full time permanent staff when compared to FY 2015," by the end of Fiscal Year 2024.
Earlier this week, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer decried the Trump administration's federal funding freezes for their impact on San Diegans.
"San Diego County depends heavily on federal funds for critical public services. These federal dollars represent taxes already paid by San Diegans, meant to come back and support local communities," said Lawson-Remer, acting chair of the Board of Supervisors. "But now, these resources are being withheld, delayed, or disrupted by federal actions — jeopardizing essential services thousands of residents rely on every day."
Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the cuts target programs that advance a political or cultural agenda and were not serving the broad interests of taxpayers.
"The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity,
transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve," he wrote.
The attorneys general of 23 Democrat-run states have sued Trump over the funding freeze.
"Without the timely disbursement of this funding, the Plaintiff
States will be unable to provide these essential services for residents, pay public employees, satisfy obligations, and carry on the important business of government," the states contend in the lawsuit.
According to Lawson-Remer, the cuts include:
— The Federal Emergency Management Agency pausing disaster relief grants, including the Shelter and Services Program that provides emergency shelter for newly arrived migrants, placing more pressure on local shelter systems;
—The U.S. Centers for Disease Control issuing conflicting orders, causing confusion among health agencies and jeopardizing more than $30 million from the CDC earmarked for local health initiatives; and
— Pausing housing grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as removing entire sections of the HUD website used by public housing agencies.
Lawson-Remer warned that cuts were likely coming to Medicaid (used by 900,000 county residents), CalFresh/SNAP (used locally by 400,000 people, 130,000 of whom are children), and housing voucher funding (which provides some rental assistance for several thousand people).
"This is not speculation. This is happening now," Lawson-Remer said. "Our goal is to be transparent with the public about what's at risk and to ensure San Diego County is prepared.
"We need clarity from Washington so that we can continue delivering essential services without disruption. The county will continue to advocate for our residents but if federal leaders do not change course San Diegans should be prepared to see service reductions."
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