Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans

06/16/2026

SSA Commissioner Questioned About Agency’s Deteriorating Staffing Levels and Long Wait Times

During a joint hearing between two House Ways and Means Subcommittees Wednesday, Democrats grilled Commissioner Frank Bisignano about the SSA’s long callback times, field office closures and staff shortages.

Throughout his testimony, Bisignano painted a rosy picture of how the Social Security Administration has improved under his leadership, insisting that call wait times are as low as 10 minutes and that the agency is “meeting people where they are.”

Several lawmakers challenged that assertion, including Rep. Steven Horsford (NV) and Committee Chairman Don Davis (IL), who mentioned that constituents in their districts report issues getting in contact with SSA employees when they call the agency’s 800 number or try to visit field offices in person.

Rep. Gwen Moore (WI) cited a Social Security Inspector General’s report suggesting the overall time it takes for callers to be connected with an SSA employee actually averages between 46 minutes and two hours. Rep. Judy Chu (CA) urged Bisignano to resume publishing true wait time metrics on the SSA website, which was done during the Biden Administration.

Rep. Don Beyer (VA) asked Bisignano whether shifting SSA workers to answering the agency’s 800 number actually yielded better results. Bisignano could not explain how staff reassignments were more efficient or improved customer service quality. He also would not sign on to making wealthy Americans pay their fair share into Social Security when Rep. John Larson (CT) asked if he supports the idea.

This week, new reports emerged confirming the damage done by the Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) mass SSA staffing cuts implemented early last year.

“Older Americans earned their Social Security through a lifetime of hard work. They shouldn’t have to worry about getting access to their benefits or receiving timely customer service assistance because of low staffing levels,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “We urge Commissioner Bisignano to fully staff SSA and keep every field office open for business.”

06/15/2026

Trump Bought To***co Stocks and Raked In Industry Donations as FDA Eased Standards

President Donald Trump, who once declared he had “saved” flavored vapes, grew his stock holdings this year to as much as $1.64 million in to***co giant Philip Morris.

He also had holdings in Altria and a third leading to***co company, though an apparent discrepancy in his disclosures clouds the extent of his investments. In 2025, to***co interests donated $6 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC that supports the president, and Trump’s inauguration. And, on April 30, a week before FDA guidance that provided a critical boost to the industry, Reynolds American dropped an additional $5 million into the super PAC’s coffers.

The stock trades and political contributions occurred as the Trump administration pursued a broadly pro-to***co agenda: Its FDA piloted a fast-track program to approve ni****ne pouches. It unveiled a program to allow vapes on the market more rapidly, despite resistance from career civil servants and leadership, culminating this year in guidance waving through flavored electronic ci******es. It cut public health employees focusing on anti-to***co policy. And it broadened enforcement against illicit e-ci******es, competitors to the big industry players with a financial relationship to Trump.

It amounts to the most pro-to***co, pro-ni****ne presidency in some time — a remarkable policy given the tens of millions of deaths ci******es caused during the 20th century. Even in recent years, anti-smoking groups say a half-million Americans a year die from ci******es. Industry advocates say the toll helps justify a shift to e-ci******es and ni****ne pouches, which they say are less harmful. However, public health advocates say these products carry their own risks, such as addiction.

https://retiredamericans.org/kff-health-news-trump-bought-to***co-stocks-and-raked-in-industry-donations-as-fda-eased-standards/?link_id=13&can_id=60aef232f17d10a71212550816e7db50&source=email-june-5-2026-friday-alert-retiree-news-7&email_referrer=email_3278726&email_subject=june-12-2026-friday-alert-retiree-news&&

Trump administration officials, looking at the possible impact of large insurance premium increases for millions of next year’s Obamacare customers, want more people to consider plans with less generous benefits and high deductibles.

06/14/2026

Tuesday the Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ reports stated that the Social Security Trust Fund will run dry in 2032 – a year earlier than expected. The Medicare Trust Fund is projected to remain solvent until 2033.

The Trustees said that Trump Administration policies - including the Republican tax law enacted last year and immigration policies - were responsible for the change in the Trust Fund’s solvency date. If Congress does not take action, Social Security will only be able to pay 78 percent of benefits to current and future beneficiaries, resulting in a roughly $500 a month cut for the average retiree.

Alliance Legislative Representative David Simon joined other retiree advocacy organizations and legislators at a press conference Thursday to help draw attention to the need to prevent benefit cuts.

“It’s clear after Speaker Johnson’s interview that we must mobilize and elect a pro-retiree Congress to take action on Social Security to prevent drastic Social Security cuts that will harm millions of Americans,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance, in a statement. “It’s time to scrap the cap and close the loophole that lets the wealthiest Americans stop paying into Social Security tax after the first $184,500 they earn.”

06/13/2026

House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA) said on a radio show Monday that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will be on the chopping block if Republicans keep control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Cat9TS6vt/

06/11/2026

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) report, entitled “Confusion & Chaos: 2025 & President Trump’s Betrayal of America’s Seniors,” focuses on eight harms that represent the Trump administration’s failure to support seniors during his first year in office:

President Trump broke his promise to tame inflation and expressed disdain for concerns about the cost of living;

President Trump’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” attacked the infrastructure that supports Social Security;

President Trump decimated Medicaid so he could slash taxes for wealthy Americans;

President Trump repealed key nursing home safety standards after being lobbied by wealthy nursing home executives;

President Trump disrupted services authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA), including nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels;

President Trump created new red tape for seniors to access food assistance as another way to fund tax cuts for wealthy Americans;

President Trump proposed steep cuts for nonprofits that protect people with disabilities and seniors; and

President Trump attempted to dismantle the agency that guards Americans against financial crimes, including financial crimes that target older adults.

06/11/2026

We are working with Caring Across Generations to help hold 1 MILLION Care Conversations this year!

Home care. Healthcare. Childcare. Paid and unpaid care. Caregivers and care recipients. All ages, all backgrounds. These conversations are meant to help envision and advocate for what WE need from our systems of care.

If you’re interested in hosting a conversation virtually or in person anywhere in illinois, send us a message! We do all the work and bring snacks, you just invite your friends and family!

Whether you’ve got a network of 5 or 500, we need you at the table.

06/06/2026

New guidance from the Administration shows that Medicaid work requirements introduced in the Republican tax law passed last summer will be even more strict than expected.

Starting next year, older adults will have to demonstrate that they have worked, volunteered, or attended school at least 80 hours a month to keep their Medicaid coverage.

The law passed by Congress said “medically frail” individuals could bypass the work requirements and remain eligible for Medicaid. But the rule released this week narrows the definition of who is considered “medically frail,” specifying that only patients who can prove that their condition(s) “significantly impairs” their ability to meet work requirements can qualify for exemption.

Last year, experts predicted that about five million Americans would lose coverage because of the work requirements.

“Millions of Americans – including seniors – rely on Medicaid for health and long-term care coverage,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “We said this law was cruel when it was passed, and Americans are about to find out just how far President Trump is willing to go to deny health care to Americans who need it.”

06/06/2026

Learn more about why we are supporting the AFGE and ARA Day of Action on June 10th and join us in Chicago!

https://open.substack.com/pub/illinoisretiredamericans/p/social-securitys-customer-service?r=7j6lvm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true