In his first public speech since leaving office in January, former President Joe Biden spoke out about the “damage and destruction” caused by the Trump administration hours after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on April 15 to cut Social Security benefits for undocumented U.S. residents, Newsweek reports.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the document expands the Social Security Fraud Prosecutor Program to close to 50 U.S. attorney offices to develop a Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution program already implemented in 15 U.S. attorney offices.
Under the order, the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General will be responsible for investigating earning reports for individuals 100 years or older with Social Security records that don’t match in an effort to combat identity theft.
“Policing Social Security Act fraud is critical because the Act contains not only traditional Social Security provided to older Americans, but also unemployment insurance, disability insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, and other programs,” the memorandum reads.
Leavitt blamed Biden for such a document to be signed.
“These taxpayer-funded benefits should be only for eligible taxpayers…” she said. “Biden should think about what he did in his last term, which is allowing tens of millions of illegal people into our country, many of whom were fraudulently receiving these benefits.”
The move came just hours after Biden spoke to disability advocates in Chicago stating Trump has destroyed the program that millions of Americans rely on, according to the New York Times.
“Look what’s happened now; fewer than 100 days into this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. It is kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon,” Biden, 82, said.
“Social Security deserves to be protected for the good of the nation as a whole,” he continued, highlighting how the new administration has adopted a Silicon Valley ideology of “move fast and break things.”
“Well, they’re certainly breaking things,” he added. They’re shooting first and aiming later.”
Trump’s memorandum shouldn’t impact lawful immigrants or U.S. citizens. Trump, on numerous occasions, promised not to cut Social Security benefits for the 73 million Americans enrolled, however, offices claim to be flooded with calls and questions concerned about potential changes to their benefits and other worries.
Under the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, undocumented immigrants are seemingly ineligible for benefits unless they have valid work authorization and have paid into the system with a legitimate Social Security number.
However, data from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) indicates “American taxpayers spend at least $182 billion annually to cover the costs incurred by the presence of 20 million illegal aliens and their children.”
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