INITIAL VICTORY OVER DOGE: FOLLOWING FURIOUS PUSH BY CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN AND ENTIRE HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY, POUGHKEEPSIE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM DOGE WEBSITE

Initial Victory Over DOGE: Following Furious Push by Congressman Pat Ryan and ENTIRE Hudson Valley Community, Poughkeepsie Social Security Office Has Been Removed From DOGE Website

Last month, the temporarily closed Poughkeepsie Social Security office appeared on the DOGE website under the “savings” tab, leaving Hudson Valley seniors in the dark on the future of their care

Congressman Ryan demanded that then-acting Social Security Administrator Michelle King resume services, just days before she resigned after refusing to provide DOGE officials access to sensitive information

All of this came amid a flurry of attacks on Social Security from Elon Musk and President Trump, as well as the mass firing of thousands of SSA employees, leaving seniors in lurch over the security of their earned benefits

Earlier this week, Congressman Ryan hosted a Community Speak Out where Hudson Valley seniors and community leaders gathered to voice their concerns and strong opposition to the office closure and attacks on Social Security at large

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  –  Today, following a furious push by Congressman Pat Ryan and the entire Hudson Valley community, the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office – recently slated for closure by Elon Musk’s DOGE – has now been removed from the DOGE savings website, sparking new hope that the office, once renovations are complete, will resume providing essential services. 

“When the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office went on the DOGE website, we didn’t throw our hands up in the air. We held speak outs. We organized rallies. We pressured our elected officials, at every level. Our entire community stood up loudly, publicly, and passionately, to fight back. This is a victory for the people over Musk, Trump, and DOGE,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “But the fight to protect Social Security is far from over. Just this week, DOGE announced it was cutting vital support over the phone, and the mass firings continue. I have zero trust in Elon Musk. We need to stay vigilant, and we need to stay united in the fight for Hudson Valley families, and against anyone who would do us harm.”

“The Poughkeepsie Social Security Office is an essential resource for Dutchess County — whether it’s seniors, individuals with disabilities, survivors, or families planning for the future. While it’s encouraging to see the office removed from the DOGE website, we need full transparency and certainty for those who rely on these services,” said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. “I remain committed to ensuring our residents have access to the support they need, without disruption or confusion.”

“The city is pleased the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office is no longer on the DOGE closure list, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Ryan who rallied so many elected officials to address this grave concern. This is what can happen when we stand united,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “The Social Security administration must keep us apprised of the renovations taking place at its Main Street office and provide the best level of service possible for our residents in the meantime. The Poughkeepsie office is a vital component of our community and its services are essential not only to our city but the entire county. We thank Congressman Ryan for pushing for ending the uncertainty and look forward to the Social Security office being restored fully when the renovations are completed.”

“This is very good and welcome news to AFGE and the staff of the Poughkeepsie Social Security office,” said Amanda Bracco, a union representative with AFGE Local 3343. “Still, with so much uncertainty surrounding our employment and the rushed changes to the structure of our agency, we will remain vigilant and hopeful that the lease will be renewed upon completion of the renovation.”

“We are also excited to see the Poughkeepsie SSA office has renewed its lease for the next 10 years, a major win for the Hudson Valley, ensuring our residents, especially our seniors continue to have timely, easy access to the benefits they rely on,” said State Senator Robert Rolison. “It’s clear how important this office is to our community, as we’ve seen an outpouring of support to advocate for this office’s future and this resource remaining in Poughkeepsie for years to come.”

“While we are excited to hear that the Poughkeepsie Office seems to have been saved from DOGE for now, we know this fight is not over. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is limiting phone service and requiring in-person visits, while closing most of its offices and reducing personnel. These changes will discourage and make it extremely difficult for people to get their Social Security benefits,” said Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson. “It must be remembered that Social Security is not an entitlement, it is a solemn pledge by the United States to give recipients their benefits for paying into the system their entire working lives. Rep. Ryan’s bill, the Protecting Social Security Act requiring one SSA office in every county, is needed more than ever before.”

Congressman Ryan has repeatedly stood up to reductions in care for Hudson Valley seniors, vehemently fighting the closure of the Kingston Social Security Office. Following that closure, and the closure of the Newburgh SSA office, Congressman Ryan introduced the Protecting Social Security Act which, along with safeguarding seniors’ earned benefits, would make it such that every county in NY-18 have its own Social Security Office. Most recently, Congressman Ryan hosted local seniors in a Speak Out, where they raised fears concerning the future of the Poughkeepsie Social Security office, the mass layoffs of Social Security workers, and the increasing attacks on the program by Elon Musk and President Trump. Musk recently called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”

When the supposed “temporary” closure of the Poughkeepsie office was announced, Congressman Ryan sounded the alarm warning of a more permanent reduction in care. Many seniors are unable to physically make it to further offices, and with 7 million seniors relying on Social Security for more than 90 percent of their income, this kind of obstacle can serve as a fatal roadblock to accessing benefits. Recent reporting from the Center for American Progress shows that when field offices close, the number of Social Security recipients receiving disability benefits in the area falls by 16 percent. 

In the context of recent attacks on Social Security from the Trump Administration and Elon Musk, this closure and the mass staff reductions at SSA pose major threats to the security and longevity of seniors’ benefits. However, going after the program is not new for the President– last spring, Trump said that there is “a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” The authors of Project 2025, Trump’s policy playbook, are pushing to raise the retirement age for Social Security, cutting benefits for millions of Americans.

In response to these attacks, Congressman Ryan has continued to stand with the senior community in the Hudson Valley, in addition to impacted federal workers. He has hosted several community events surrounding the issue, and has continued to push for the passage of his Protecting Social Security Act, which would both safeguard payments and ensure that every county in NY-18 has a local Social Security office. 

###