Washington, D.C. – This week, the Trump-Musk administration ramped up their efforts to line the pockets of their billionaire friends and donors by stealing from programs that ensure the safety and well-being of everyday Americans. From drastic cuts to veterans’ care and Social Security to helping ultra-rich tax cheats by slashing the IRS, Republicans are hellbent on pursuing an agenda that only benefits the wealthiest Americans while everyone else suffers.
Here are five ways Musk and Republicans have hurt everyday Americans just this week:
- Veterans Benefits: Slashed resources at the VA, including firing 80,000 employees, causing delays in processing benefits and longer wait times for critical health care for veterans.
- Education: Finalized their plans to eliminate the Department of Education, which will cause teacher layoffs, larger classroom sizes, and fewer resources for students with disabilities.
- Social Security: Jeopardized seniors’ Social Security benefits by preparing to lay off half of the staff responsible for keeping Social Security operational.
- Internal Revenue Service: Empowered wealthy tax cheats while making it harder and slower for everyday Americans to file their taxes by slashing personnel and resources for the IRS.
- National Weather Service: Endangered millions of Americans by firing hundreds of experts responsible for informing and preparing Americans for extreme weather events.
Reminder: Congressional Republicans have admitted that they’ll use the money DOGE steals from these essential services to fund their billionaire-first tax plans.
***
Statement from Families Over Billionaires Director Michael Linden on these cruel, ongoing cuts:
“Elon Musk and Donald Trump spent this week stealing from America’s veterans, seniors, and schoolchildren to fund trillions in tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Americans are speaking out and won’t allow the programs they rely on to be decimated by billionaires and their puppet politicians.”
***
Follow along with the Families Over Billionaires campaign at familiesoverbillionaires.org and across social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky