Town hall talks about social security, DOGE, pregnancy centers and energy
Published on April 18, 2025 at 10:23am EDT | Author: frazeevergas
0By Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach
I recently held a telephone town hall, and nearly 14,000 people tuned in for an update on what I have been working on and what’s been happening in D.C. I also answered some great questions about things concerning the people of the 7th District. It was great to learn from those who participated that, by and large, my constituents agree with President Trump’s efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse from the federal government and think that this country is headed in the right direction.
One example of how the Executive and Legislative branches are working together to improve government functions and better serve the American people is the Social Security Administration. I was very excited when President Biden signed the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act in his final days in office. Most people would agree that the government should not decrease benefits for people who dedicate their lives to serving their communities. This law allows civil servants like teachers, police officers, and firefighters who receive a “non-covered” to begin receiving Social Security back pay. However, I was shocked when the Social Security Administration (SSA) wrote to the Ways and Means Committee in January that it estimated it would take 1,000 work years to process and send out these payments!
But, since that letter was sent in January, Donald Trump has taken office, and his Administration has embraced automation and technology and yes, streamlining government inefficiencies. Now, the SSA has said they have already sent more than 71% of all back payments to the 3.2 million people impacted by this new law. The fact is that fraud and waste exist across the government, and that includes in the SSA. And the work that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has already taken almost 1,000 years off of the waiting time for these Social Security recipients. I know there are a lot of people out there with false reporting, but I want you to know that these kinds of projects are DOGE at work, and it’s already helping the American people.
I have also been working to protect the crisis pregnancy centers that help so many women across the country. In Minnesota, we have seen the pro-abortion industry infiltrate the state government. We have seen legislation that supports abortion for any reason up until birth, we have heard politicians mask their pro-abortion interests in lies about women’s health, and we have seen attacks on crisis pregnancy centers, which really are here to protect women’s health. Pregnancy centers offer women options and support. They provide treatment, counseling, ultrasounds, parenting and prenatal education, diapers, baby clothes, referrals for housing and transportation, and so much more.
I joined my colleagues Representatives Chris Smith and Claudia Tenney in introducing the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act, which will prohibit federal, state, and local governments from discriminating against pregnancy care centers because of their life-affirming mission. It also provides centers facing discrimination with a private right of action.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright joined the monthly Western Caucus Member Lunch. He updated us on the Department’s priorities under President Trump, highlighting a need for an all-of-the-above energy strategy to unleash American energy dominance. I also got to ask him more specifically about the role of American biofuels in that strategy, since these fuels are reliable and our ability to produce them is critical to our rural economies and our producers.
Finally, I was excited to be back in greater Minnesota to meet with a number of groups and businesses across the District. I got to meet the kind people at the Browns Valley Health Center and the Good Samaritan and Care providers of Minnesota to talk about their concerns in the health policy space. I met with the Perham Rotary and Perham city officials. And I joined the Center for the American Experiment for their event. Additionally, my staff has been hosting office hours in a different county each month. So far, we’ve held them in Pipestone, Park Rapids, Gaylord, Detroit Lakes, and Marshall, and we are looking forward to having a lot more.
If you have any questions about these updates or if my office can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my team at Fischbach.house.gov or 320-403-6100.