House Republicans hold Social Security hearing at billionaire donor's Dallas property
A closed-door field hearing on creating a commission to cut benefits drew criticism for excluding seniors and disabled people while granting access to major Republican donor Harlan Crow.
What to know
- House Republicans held a closed-door field hearing in Dallas on Social Security and Medicare cuts at a property owned by billionaire donor Harlan Crow, with Crow granted a seat while seniors and disabled attendees were excluded in 100°F heat.
- Multiple House Budget Committee members, including chairman Jodey Arrington, have received substantial donations from Crow, who also has funded Republican candidates broadly.
- Critics argue the hearing is designed to manufacture political cover for benefit cuts while avoiding public accountability, with a commission structure intended to shield politicians from voter backlash.
The hearing exemplifies billionaire control of Republican policy at the expense of ordinary Americans.
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“Republicans wanted to keep the hearing quiet, so they held it far from Washington DC. This was a 'field hearing,' held all the way in Dallas, Texas. Specifically, it was held at Old Parkland, a 'business campus' owned by none other than…”
victorvonvortex@mastodon.social · Mastodon ↗
“Republicans wanted to keep the hearing quiet, so they held it far from Washington DC. This was a 'field hearing,' held all the way in Dallas, Texas. Specifically, it was held at Old Parkland, a 'business campus' owned by none other than Harlan Crow.”
Common Dreams (op-ed) · Common Dreams ↗
Harlan Crow Billionaire donor, property ownerHouse Republicans / Jodey Arrington House Budget Committee chairman and party members
Joe Manchin Retired Senator (D-W.Va.)Rob Portman Retired Senator (R-Ohio)
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump postscomments
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Analysis reveals Republican donations from Crow
Reporting found that several members of the House Budget Committee, including Chairman Jodey Arrington, have received substantial donations from Harlan Crow.
“Ugh, someone I was talking to was like we need billionaires to run shit because look how fucked our society is rn. Like mf society is fucked because of those God damn billionaires…”
— soup3972, Reddit commenter · source -
first by Mastodon, 3d ago
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If Republicans want to cut our earned benefits, the American people deserve for them to tell us that to our faces, rather than weaseling around the job they were elected to do, and for which they earn a handsome salary. This Monday, House Republicans held a hearing focused on creating a closed-door commission to cut Social Security and Medicare…
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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Crow's Dallas residence has an extensive collection of historical artifacts, including communist and Nazi memorabilia . His residence houses two paintings by Adolf Hitler and a signed copy of Mein Kampf . Crow's backyard garden features what he named the 'Garden of Evil', which is home to at least 20 statues of authoritarian leaders and Communist…
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House Republicans Pitch a Plan to Cut # SocialSecurity to # Billionaire Donor # HarlanCrow If Republicans want to cut our earned benefits, the American people deserve for them to tell us that to our faces, rather than weaseling around the job they were elected to do, and for which they earn a handsome salary. by Alex Lawson Sep 23, 2026 "This…
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Attendee calls hearing a farce, escorted out by police
An attendee who brought Texas seniors and people with disabilities confronted the hearing as designed to cut Social Security and was escorted out by police. Michelle H. Davis, who was denied a seat, watched the three-hour hearing and reported that Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington personally thanked Crow at its conclusion.
“I called out the hearing for what it was: a farce designed to cut Social Security, even though Social Security doesn't add a single penny to the debt. I was promptly escorted out by police.”
— Common Dreams (op-ed) -
background
Hearing excludes seniors and disabled people, grants access to Crow — Republicans denied seating to Texas seniors and people with disabilities who attended, claiming only three chairs were available for the public. Medically vulnerable people were forced to wait outside in 100°F heat. Harlan Crow received a seat at the hearing.
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background
House Republicans hold field hearing on Social Security commission — House Republicans held a closed-door field hearing in Dallas, Texas at Old Parkland, a business campus owned by billionaire donor Harlan Crow, focused on creating a commission to cut Social Security and Medicare. The hearing featured retired Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as witnesses.
What people are saying 3 voices from 2 sites · best of 7 · verbatim
- Sep 24
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This is the line I'm seeing trotted out more often on social media in this moment. Their defense of the war and gas prices is failing, so they're going with their last ditch option of just voter supression and apathy.
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Perhaps if people made the republicans aware that the reverse was also true, they might start to care, they'll be caring out of fear but now is not the time to be fussy.
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Opinion | House Republicans Pitch a Plan to Cut Social Security to Billionaire Donor Harlan Crow | Common Dreams https://www. commondreams.org/opinion/repub licans-cut-social-security