MD Lawmakers Protest Trump Cuts, Data Sharing: 'Keep Hands Off Social Security'

WOODLAWN, MD — Maryland lawmakers rallied Monday outside the Baltimore County Social Security office, protesting President Donald Trump's cuts to federal agencies and information sharing with his allies.

"After the Department of Education, where they've been, after NOAA, after CMS or Medicare, is going to be the Social Security Administration. And we say 'No.' Keep your hands off of our Social Security," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) said in a clip aired on WUSA9.

Trump has tapped Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, to identify areas where the federal government can save money. That has led to a slew of agency job cuts and proposals to slash governmental spending on aid. Federal employees were also given a buyout offer if they vacated their positions immediately.

Lawsuits have tried to block many of these actions taken by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.

A federal judge last Thursday ordered that two Musk allies have "read only" access to the Treasury Department payment systems, the Associated Press reported. AP said nobody else will get access for now, including Musk himself.

The Treasury Department handles Social Security payments.

Opponents claim that allowing DOGE, which is not an official government agency, to access sensitive social security files is a privacy violation.

"Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies. With his DOGE crew, they have accessed highly sensitive personal information on Americans at the Department of Treasury, including social security numbers, bank accounts, and other very sensitive information," Van Hollen said, according to WJZ.

AP said 13 attorneys general, including Maryland's Anthony Brown, will file a lawsuit to stop DOGE from accessing federal payment systems.

"I want to invite the President and Mr. Musk to come back to my American government classes, learn a thing or two about how democracy is supposed to work," former civics teacher and current U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-District 2) said, according to WBAL-TV 11 News.

Lawmakers also challenged Trump's cuts to the federal workforce.

"These are men and women who come to work every day, and these are not Democratic jobs or Republican jobs. These are American jobs," Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D) said in a recording of the press conference posted on Van Hollen's X account.

The protest featured representatives of the American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing 800,000 federal workers.

"They get up every morning, they put on their clothes and they come to buildings like this all over the country to do a simple non-partisan job, and that is to serve the people of America," U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-District 7) said, according to WBAL NewsRadio 1090.

U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-District 3) also attended.

The rally was held at the Woodlawn Social Security office, located at 6401 Security Blvd.