Jahana Hayes lashed out at Trump over proposed cuts to the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The EBSA oversees retirement plans and health benefits for over 150 million Americans. Hayes called the plan “reckless” and said it would “gut the very agency that protects workers’ savings.” But the agency’s budget has doubled in 10 years, while audits have dropped. Enforcement cases fell by 23% since 2019. Trump’s team claims the EBSA is bloated and inefficient.
“He’s not trying to protect workers. He’s trying to protect Wall Street,” Hayes said.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/politics/jahana-hayes-trump-ebsa-cuts/index.html
A Trump official pushed back: “We want results, not bureaucracy. The EBSA’s mission is important, but its execution is another matter.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/ebsa-budget-cuts-trump-response
The money trail is simple. If the agency loses funding, corporate HR departments handle more of the compliance burden, shifting risk. But if enforcement stays weak while the budget stays high, taxpayers keep funding an agency that mostly watches. Both parties know it. The fight is about control, not worker security.