Capital District Times

Paul Tonko, a U.S. Congressman representing New York's 20th district, has recently expressed concerns about the impact of certain policies on Social Security and federal agencies through a series of tweets. Serving in Congress since 2009, Tonko has been vocal about protecting benefits for the American people.

On March 6, 2025, Paul Tonko addressed his efforts to safeguard Social Security from perceived threats by the Trump administration and Elon Musk. He stated: "That’s why I’ve joined my colleagues to introduce legislation that protects your Social Security from the Trump administration and Elon’s Muskrats." He called upon Republicans to support this initiative to maintain and expand benefits for Americans.

In another tweet on the same day, Tonko criticized comments made by Elon Musk regarding Social Security. He mentioned: "Social Security is under attack by Elon Musk, who calls it a 'Ponzi Scheme.'" He highlighted issues such as shuttered field offices and unprocessed retirement claims as consequences of these actions.

On March 7, 2025, Tonko shared his experience hosting a roundtable discussion with public servants affected by what he described as an illegal purge of federal agencies by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. He tweeted: "This morning, I hosted a roundtable discussion with a group of dedicated public servants from our Capital Region — workers who have been fired, furloughed, or otherwise impacted by Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless, illegal purge of our federal agencies."