Big Flats Social Security Office: DOGE Targeted a Chemung County Lifeline

Why This Matters for NY-23

The Big Flats Social Security office is the only SSA office in Chemung County. Seniors and disabled residents depend on it for retirement benefits, disability claims, and Medicare enrollment. When DOGE — a caucus Langworthy co-founded — targeted this office for lease non-renewal, staff reported “incredibly low morale” and community members feared losing access to essential services. Langworthy later said it was overblown, but the initial threat came from an initiative he publicly championed.

Statement

Source: DOGE website lease non-renewal list; Langworthy statement, March 26, 2025

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) listed the Big Flats Social Security Administration field office (Chemung County) for lease non-renewal, effectively targeting the office for closure. Langworthy — a founding member of the House DOGE Caucus — later told local media the closure scare was overblown, saying the lease change affected only an underused annex, not the main office.

Langworthy stated the SSA confirmed “no field offices have closed” this year and noted the DOGE website later showed $0 savings from removing the lease.

The Record

The Big Flats SSA Office

The Social Security field office in Big Flats, Chemung County is the only SSA office in Chemung County. It serves residents across the Southern Tier who need in-person access to:

• Social Security retirement benefits
• Disability claims processing
• Medicare enrollment
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Card replacements and benefit applications

The office has 12 employees.

Timeline

Schumer’s Response

Sen. Schumer immediately denounced the move, noting Big Flats is “the only office in Chemung County” for Social Security services. He demanded answers when documents showed the lease would not be renewed and the office was on a cancellation list.

Schumer framed the issue as vital: “Social Security allows seniors… to retire in dignity,” and warned that making them travel farther for in-person help would be “untenable.”

He also linked the closure scare to broader trends, citing DOGE’s plan to cut up to 7,000 SSA jobs nationwide (per The New York Times) and compared it to VA cuts already affecting the district.

Local Officials

Beth Stranges, Chemung County Director of Aging, publicly warned that any closure would increase hardship and wait times for the county’s elderly population.

Shawn Halloran, the local union president, described “incredibly low morale” and stress among the 12 employees — even after Langworthy’s assurances that the office would remain open.

Langworthy’s Response

On March 26, 2025, Langworthy told local media:

• The lease change affected only an underused annex, not the main office
• The SSA confirmed “no field offices have closed” this year
• The DOGE website later showed $0 savings from removing the lease

In other words, Langworthy portrayed the issue as a misunderstanding resolved by a bureaucratic tweak.

What Langworthy Did Not Address

• Why DOGE targeted a rural SSA office in the first place
• Whether DOGE’s broader plan (which had listed Big Flats) was reconsidered
• His own role as a founding DOGE Caucus member supporting the initiative that created the scare
• The concrete impact on staff morale and constituent anxiety during the uncertainty
• Any connection between his support for federal efficiency cuts and the local consequences for Social Security services

The Contradiction

Langworthy simultaneously:

1. Supports DOGE as a founding caucus member — told the Buffalo News (February 2025): “I fully support Musk’s mission and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals”
2. Portrays DOGE targeting his constituents’ SSA office as a misunderstanding that never threatened real services
3. Claims to protect seniors’ access in a rural district where this is the only SSA office in the county

The contradiction is structural: the initiative Langworthy actively champions as a “founding member” is the same initiative that targeted a service point his constituents depend on. When the consequences arrived in his district, he characterized them as a non-event — while staff and local officials described real stress and uncertainty.

District Impact

The potential closure would compound an existing constituent access problem: Chemung County already lacks a Langworthy district office (the planned Elmira location never opened), and the only federal service point for Social Security was targeted for elimination by an initiative Langworthy actively supports.

Coverage Gaps

The episode was almost entirely reported through press releases and brief news briefs:

• The FingerLakes1 article (March 29 Staff Report) summarized official statements without analysis
• The only critical voices cited were the union leader and Schumer’s statements
• No outlet questioned why DOGE targeted a rural SSA office in the first place
• No outlet examined data on wait times or travel distances for alternatives
• No outlet connected the scare to Langworthy’s broader DOGE caucus membership or voting record on Social Security funding

The Pattern

This is part of a broader pattern in NY-23 where DOGE initiatives that Langworthy supports as a caucus member directly threaten federal service delivery in his district:

Questions This Raises

1. If Langworthy supports the DOGE caucus mission of consolidating federal offices, how does he protect his rural constituents’ access to the only SSA office in Chemung County?

2. Langworthy characterized the closure scare as a lease technicality. Why, then, did staff experience “incredibly low morale” and county officials publicly warn of hardship?

3. When DOGE targeted Big Flats, it was Sen. Schumer who demanded answers and advocated publicly. What specific action did Langworthy take before his March 26 statement?

4. If the DOGE website showed $0 savings from the Big Flats lease removal, why was the office listed in the first place?

5. How does Langworthy reconcile “I fully support Musk’s mission” with the consequences of that mission arriving at his constituents’ only Social Security office?

Assessment

Langworthy’s membership in the DOGE Caucus puts him in direct tension with his constituents’ need for accessible federal services.

When DOGE targeted the only SSA office in Chemung County, it was Sen. Schumer — not DOGE caucus member Langworthy — who publicly demanded answers and advocated for keeping the office open. Langworthy’s response came later and framed the episode as a non-event, despite documented staff anxiety and local official warnings.

The broader accountability gap is clear: no local media outlet connected Langworthy’s founding DOGE caucus membership to the initiative that targeted his constituents’ Social Security office. Residents need this context to evaluate whether his assurances truly protect their access to benefits.

Verdict: CONTRADICTION — Supporting the DOGE initiative that targeted a constituent service point while characterizing the resulting disruption as a misunderstanding.

Sources

• Local news: “Incredibly low morale: What’s next at Big Flats Social Security office targeted by DOGE”
• Press coverage: “Schumer demands answers on potential closure of Chemung County Social Security office”
• Press coverage: “Schumer, Langworthy spar over DOGE plans for Social Security office”
• FingerLakes1 Staff Report: “Social Security office in Big Flats likely to stay open” (March 29, 2025)
• Schumer press release: Big Flats SSA office closure threat
• The New York Times: DOGE plan to cut up to 7,000 SSA jobs nationwide
• Langworthy.house.gov: DOGE Caucus founding membership
• Buffalo News: Langworthy “founding member” quote (February 2025)
• Related: VA Healthcare: Calling It a ‘Staffing Problem’ While Supporting Workforce Cuts
• Related: Constituent Access: No In-Person Town Halls Since Taking Office

Note: This entry documents publicly available information from news organizations, official government sources, and congressional records. Readers may draw their own conclusions.

Last updated: February 8, 2026