SSA Head Canceled Maine Contracts Over Politics

Emails reveal that the Trump administration's Social Security Administration (SSA) head, Leland Dudek, canceled contracts with Maine as retaliation against Governor Janet Mills, following a political clash over transgender rights. The canceled contracts disrupted the longstanding process for parents to obtain Social Security Numbers for newborns and verify deaths electronically. Despite internal warnings about increased improper payments and identity theft risks, Dudek proceeded, calling Mills a 'petulant child.' Public and political backlash quickly led to the reinstatement of the contracts. Representative Gerald Connolly and others have called for Dudek's resignation, highlighting the political motivations behind the actions. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and state governments over social policies.