FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Republican Florida congressman Aaron Bean, representing northeast Florida, is responding to local claims that he’s working with the federal government to attack social security.
It brought dozens of protestors outside his local office in downtown Fernandina Beach, led by the Nassau County Democrats. They protested Bean’s work with the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Bean is co-chairing in the House of Representatives’ DOGE caucus.
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The protestors made signs and chants with claims that Bean isn’t doing his job by partnering with a department that’s been trying to get ahold of sensitive social security information. Action News Jax told you earlier this week when the head of the Social Security Administration stepped down over DOGE requests to access recipient information.
Because of scheduling conflicts and work in Washington, D.C., Congressman Bean didn’t make it down to Fernandina Beach to respond to the protest in-person. Instead, Bean’s district director Bryan Campbell met with protestors inside his Fernandina Beach office.
“[Congressman Bean] has very publicly stated, to your question of protecting social security, that he is going to do that,” Campbell told protestors.
In a statement to Action News Jax, Congressman Bean’s office wrote:
“From the very beginning, President Trump made clear that he will not touch Social Security, and I am committed to ensuring Northeast Floridians continue to receive their social security earnings. It is a shame that there are people who try to scare you into believing otherwise. My goal and the goal of President Trump’s DOGE is to eliminate waste in order to protect the future of programs like Social Security.”
But protestors shared concerns with Action News Jax that if the DOGE gets social security information, their benefits will be at risk.
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“This is really outrageous what’s going on right now,” said Neil Frink, who lives in Fernandina Beach, “this DOGE stuff is crazy, there’s no accountability.”
Others simply wanted the chance to speak face-to-face with their congressman about their concerns.
“Social security is a lifeline for so many families,” said Nancy Gladfelter, who lives on Amelia Island, “those are all things for the people, we care about that.”
Congressman Bean’s office says none of the protestors reached out to his office to schedule a meeting. The Nassau County Democrats haven’t yet shared plans to meet with the congressman.
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