On July 23, Representative Gil Cisneros (D-CA) sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) requesting they investigate concerns about reductions in force (RIFs) at the two agencies and the impact of services and casework processing. Cisneros was joined by 52 colleagues – all Democrats – on the letter to IRS Commissioner Billy Long. The letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano was signed by 58 total members.

“Congressional casework is essential to ensure our taxpayers get their refunds, our seniors get their checks, and our constituents get prompt and accurate responses from federal agencies,” Cisneros wrote in a press statement. “I am leading 50+ House Democrats in letters to the IRS and SSA to ensure our constituent casework isn’t affected by the reckless RIFs.”

Their letters cite a backlog in retirement claims received by the SSA “increased to almost 575,000 applications as of May 17, 2025. “Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service National Taxpayer Advocate’s Fiscal Year 2026 report states that as of the beginning of June 2025, the IRS has decreased its staffing by almost 26 percent – which may impact casework services,” the letters state. “And amidst this series of rapid layoff announcements, Congress has yet to receive access to real-time, authoritative data sources tracking separations from the federal workforce and their impacts.”

The members asked the commissioners of the two agencies for copies of their Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans, including how the agencies would measure positive effects on the delivery of citizen services. The members are also seeking the total number of federal workers at SSA and IRS who worked with congressional offices to respond to congressional casework inquiries prior to agency RIFs and the current number of these employees, as well as average casework data, before and after the announced RIFs.

To view the letter to the SSA click here. To view the letter to the IRS click here.