February 2024: Begich Replied To A Tweet From Vivek Ramaswamy That Said Begich Had Signed The American Truth Pledge. According to Nick Begich’s Twitter, “Thank you @VivekGRamaswamy for your strong support! By putting the people of America FIRST, our great nation will be more prosperous and free. Alaska has an important role to play in our national resurgence, and I’ll be proud to fight every day for Alaska in DC!”[Twitter, @NickforAlaska, 2/14/24]
November 2024: Vivek Ramaswamy Was Selected By Trump To Run The Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) With Elon Musk, Which Had The Explicit Goal Of Dismantling Government Bureaucracy, Cutting “Wasteful” Spending, And Restructuring Federal Agencies. According to NPR, "President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head what he's calling the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) — an acronym that is an apparent wink to the dog-themed cryptocurrency by the same name that started as a joke and skyrocketed after Musk promoted it. Trump made the announcement in a statement Tuesday evening, indicating DOGE and its leadership, Musk and Ramaswamy, will focus on regulating government spending. While it is not yet clear whether this entity will exist within the federal government or outside, an official government agency cannot be created without an act of Congress. ‘Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement,’ Trump wrote. ‘I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans.’” [NPR, 11/12/24]
December 2024: Begich Tweeted In Support Of DOGE Saying It Was A Threat To Bureaucracy And “We’re Looking Forward To It.” According to Nick Begich’s Twitter, “Swaths of unelected bureaucrats have overstepped their authority to engage in “cubicle lawmaking”, creating regulations with the effect of law. For Alaska to thrive the practice must end. Is #DOGE a threat to Bureaucracy? You’re damn right it is, and we’re looking forward to it.” [Twitter, @NickforAlaska, 12/13/24]
January 2025: Begich Joined The Congressional DOGE Caucus And Said “I Am Reaffirming My Commitment To Cutting Waste, Eliminating Unnecessary Regulations, And Ensuring That Funds Spent By The Federal Government Work For The People It Serves.” According to a press release from Rep. Nick Begich, "Today, Congressman Nick Begich announced that he has joined the Congressional Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus. The DOGE Caucus seeks to create a more responsive, effective, and transparent federal government, rooted in accountability and fiscal responsibility. Congressman Begich, a strong advocate for reducing government waste and supporting Alaskan communities, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute to these goals. ‘It is time for the American people to have an efficient government that serves them and not the bureaucracy. We can no longer afford to sit by as taxpayers fund an ever-expanding bureaucracy that fails to deliver results,’ said Congressman Begich. ‘By joining the Congressional DOGE Caucus, I am reaffirming my commitment to cutting waste, eliminating unnecessary regulations, and ensuring that funds spent by the federal government work for the people it serves. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to bring about demonstrable reform.’ In joining the Caucus, Congressman Begich will work alongside a bipartisan group of colleagues to enact policies that prioritize taxpayer interests, eliminate wasteful spending, and rein in bureaucratic overreach." [Press Release – Rep. Nick Begich, 1/16/25]
One Year After DOGE-Era Cuts Resulted In A 12 Percent Cut Of The Social Security Administration’s Workforce, Social Security Offices Across The Country Still Struggled With Staffing. According to Business Insider, "More than a dozen Social Security field offices are listed as closed to in-person service, instead directing customers to reach out by phone or contact the national 800 number. Now, the list of closures has prompted concerns for the beleaguered agency and its recipients. A federal employees' union memo obtained by Business Insider sheds some light on why offices are closed: Some due to operational issues with their buildings, while others are so small that any understaffing forces them to temporarily shut down. […] The closures come at a tumultuous time for the Social Security Administration and its beneficiaries; the agency shed around 7,000 workers, or nearly 12% of its workforce, during the DOGE era, and has had to temporarily reassign some employees to staff phone lines. While the SSA said these office closures are temporary, staffing issues and a lack of field offices could be an increasing problem for the administration and recipients alike. Some currently-shuttered offices simply don't have enough staff. These smaller offices, called resident stations, are often staffed by just one person and serve low-population areas. Two resident stations in rural Montana and Wyoming are closed for lack of workers." [Business Insider, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Stops Reporting Call Wait Times And Other Metrics" [Washington Post, 6/20/25]
HEADLINE: "As Social Security Services Are Cut Back, Millions Of Seniors Face Long Drives" [Axios, 4/8/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Website Keeps Crashing, As DOGE Demands Cuts To IT Staff" [Washington Post, 4/7/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Faces Thousands More Job Cuts Even With Service In Tailspin" [Washington Post, 4/4/25]
The Social Security Administration Website Crashed Four Times In Ten Days In March Because Servers Were Overloaded. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Field Office Managers At Social Security Offices Had To Answer Phones In Place Of Receptionists Because DOGE Had Pushed Out So Many Federal Employees. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
DOGE Eliminated The Social Security Administration’s System To Monitor Customer Experience. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Early February-Late March 2025: AARP Said More Than 2,000 People Per Week Had Called Expressing Concerns About Whether They Would Continue To Get Their Social Security Benefits. According to the Washington Post, "Alarmed lawmakers are straining to answer questions back home from angry constituents. Calls have flooded into congressional offices. AARP announced Monday that more than 2,000 people a week have called the retiree organization since early February — double the usual number — with concerns about whether benefits they paid for during their working careers will continue. Social Security is the primary source of income for about 40 percent of older Americans." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
2025: 123,083 Alaskans Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2025, 123,083 Alaskans received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Alaska,2025]
At A Town Hall, Begich Told Constituents He Was “Not In A Position To Approve Or Deny The Cuts” Made By DOGE That Impacted Alaskans. According to Popular Information, "At an open house in Fairbanks on Monday, Alaskan Congressman Nick Begich (R) told constituents that there was nothing he could do to stop agency budget cuts being implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk. During the meeting, Begich was confronted by constituents laid off from federal jobs, a major source of employment for the state. ‘I was fired,’ one said. ‘Now I have no choice but to leave that community and probably leave Alaska, and so I just don't understand how these budget cuts are helpful to any Alaskans or their communities. And I'm just wondering what you plan to do about this.’ Begich said he was ‘not in a position to approve or deny the cuts.’ It was a remarkable statement from the freshman Congressman, sworn into office in January. The Constitution vests the ‘power of the purse’ with Congress — not an unelected billionaire appointed to a position in the executive branch. Popular Information obtained the audio recordings of the town hall from a constituent who attended the meeting. The audio was provided on the condition of anonymity because the constituent is not a public figure." [Popular Information, 2/20/25]
When Confronted By Constituents Asking Begich To Publicly Denounce DOGE Cuts, Begich Said “We Have To Cut.” According to Popular Information, "At an open house in Fairbanks on Monday, Alaskan Congressman Nick Begich (R) told constituents that there was nothing he could do to stop agency budget cuts being implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk. […] In lieu of taking action, another constituent asks Begich if he would ‘publicly commit to denouncing the cuts’ that impact Alaska and ‘commit to saying this is wrong.’ Begich refused. ‘I'm not going to denounce all cuts. We have to cut. We're 125% debt to GDP ratio as a nation,’ Begich said. But the federal workforce accounts for about 6% of the federal budget. House Republicans just advanced a budget projected to increase the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years." [Popular Information, 2/20/25]
Begich Said He Estimated About 100 Alaskans Lost Their Jobs As A Result Of The Mass Federal Worker Firings Conducted By DOGE. According to Alaska News Source, "In his first trip back to Alaska since being sworn in last month, Congressman Nick Begich, R-Alaska, estimated about 100 Alaskans have lost their jobs as part of mass federal worker firings by the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ″These workers primarily were on a probationary period with the federal government,’ Begich told Alaska’s News Source in a wide-reaching interview following an open house he hosted at his new Fairbanks office, speaking to the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. ‘Look, I’ve told folks here in the Interior and I will continue to tell folks throughout the state if they have been impacted by these cuts and they have specific information that they can share about their position, its importance to the state, and why they believe they should be reinstated, they should reach out to our office and we’ll review those on a case by case basis,’ Begich added." [Alaska News Source, 2/18/25]