By Fatima Hussein and Patrick Whittle, Associated Press
Washington (AP) – The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration faces calls to resign after making an order – which was quickly canceled – which would have forced Maine’s parents to record their newborns to social security numbers in a federal office rather than at the hospital.
The newly unearthed emails show that the decision of March 5 has been taken as political recovery to the Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, who challenged the Trump administration to refuse federal funding to the state compared to transgender athletes.
In the email addressed to the agency staff, the acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, said: “No money will drop from public confidence to a petulant child.” Staff members have warned that the termination of contracts would result in poor payments and the identity theft potential.
The Dudek order initially caused the general conviction of medical organizations and civil servants, who described it as useless and punitive. The practice of allowing parents to record a newborn baby for a social security number in a hospital or other birth site, called the birth enumeration program, has been common for decades.
The Democratic representative Chellie Pingree, one of the two members of the Maine Chamber, said that Dudek should resign immediately. She described Dudek’s actions as reprisals for Mills who publicly oppose President Donald Trump.
“If a federal agency can be transformed into a team of political hit according to an acting named, what checks remain in the executive power? The vindictive actions of Commissioner Dudek against Maine represent a fundamental betrayal of the confidence of the public which disqualifies it from the public service,” said Pingree.
Mills said on Wednesday that Social Security was subject to “rushed and reckless cuts” and needs leadership that treats it as public confidence. She said it is particularly important in Maine, which has a high number of recipients.
“Social Security is not a program, as some have said, it is an alliance between our government and its people. The management of the Social Security Administration must act in a manner which reflects this solemn obligation,” said Mills.
Representative Gerry Connolly, D-VA., Classification member of the Chamber’s supervisory committee, sent a letter to Dudek on Tuesday, calling for his immediate resignation and a request to sit for an interview with the Committee.
“The American people deserves responses to your activities and your communications over time between February 21, 2025 of President Trump, the public threat to Governor Mills and your February 27, 2025, in order to cancel the enumeration at birth and registration of electronic death with the state of Maine, and on your knowledge of their letter.
Connolly, in a letter on Tuesday, said that the Democrats of the Chamber’s Supervisory Committee had obtained internal email from the Social Security Administration which, according to Dudek, canceled the contracts to respond politically against Maine.
A representative of the Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for associated comments.
Dudek during an appeal of March 18 with journalists to preview the more strict measures of the agency’s identity, initially declared that the cancellation of the Maine’s contract occurred “because I did not give a damn”, adding that he thought that the contract looked strange. “I did the bad move there. I should always ask my staff advice before canceling something. I am new in this work. ”
He added: “Well, I was upset by the treatment of the governor, and I indicated by e-mail as such, but the real fact was that he looked like a strange contract.”
“I am not interested in political reprisals. I am interested in serving the public. “
Maine has been the subject of federal investigations since Governor Mills sparked Trump’s anger at a meeting of governors at the White House in February. During the meeting, Trump threatened to withdraw federal funding from Maine if the state does not comply with its decree prohibits transgender sports athletes.
Mills replied: “We will see you in court.”
The Trump administration then opened investigations on the question of whether the Maine violated the law on the anti -discrimination of the title IX by allowing transgender athletes to participate in the sports of girls. The Department of Education issued a final warning on Monday that the State could soon face the application of the Ministry of Justice if it does not comply soon.
The US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins also said on Wednesday that the ministry took a break from the federal funds for certain educational programs in Maine due to the non-compliance of the title IX.
Whittle reported to Scarborough, Maine.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
