(WASHINGTON) — As the Trump administration says it’s continuing its effort to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government through cuts at key agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the Education Department, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is touting her ongoing investigations that she said work to protect millions of Americans from restricted access to higher education and retirement benefits.

“We cannot stand by and let Trump abuse his power by ripping away the programs that help people breathe a little easier,” Warren said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. “People voted Democrats into office to fight for them, and they do not expect us to roll over and play dead.”

The Massachusetts Democrat, a former teacher and fierce defender of public education, launched her Save Our Schools campaign this spring to investigate the administration’s attempts to shutter the Department of Education. The investigations probe the Department of Education’s cuts including downsizing the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office and changes to the student loan system.

Democrats contend slashing FSA’s workforce will hinder low-income Americans’ access to college and urged the agency to rehire employees critical to its financial aid operations.

In April, Warren launched the Social Security War Room, a coordinated effort to combat the administration’s so-called “attack on Americans’ Social Security” at the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is responsible for distributing retirement disability, and survivor benefits to more than 70 million Americans. So far, Warren said her campaign has worked to cut down Social Security wait times on the phone and in person at regional offices.

Warren urged President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to take their “hands off” Social Security. She said her pressure campaign — which included an inspector general review of the agency — has impeded Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano from making additional layoffs after the agency announced it was aiming to cut roughly 7,000 people from its workforce.

Warren said if Democrats do nothing, the Trump administration will “go ahead with no pushback.”

“There’s a lot of anger over what Trump and the Republicans are trying to do to the Social Security Administration,” she said. “We will push back with everything we’ve got.”

While Trump has vowed to safeguard Social Security and Medicare, some actions from the administration have raised concerns about potential impacts on the program — including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent comments that the so-called Trump savings accounts for newborns could be a “back door” to start privatizing Social Security. Bessent later walked back the comments.

The Trump administration says its workforce restructuring is part of the president’s efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse and improve Americans’ lives, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told ABC News. He added that the president’s success through DOGE is “undisputed and legal.”

Republicans argue the SSA changes will ensure fraudsters won’t tamper with retirees’ benefits and streamline the experience by utilizing artificial intelligence.

Warren said large-scale changes to these agencies could have dire consequences for Americans.

“Save Our Schools and the Social Security War Room are two ways that, internally, the Democrats are fighting back against administration cuts that undermine people all across this country,” Warren said.

SSA has said the focus of its workforce reduction and organizational restructuring is to eliminate things that don’t provide “mission critical” services. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also stressed she is not defunding federal programs and will continue to perform all of the agency’s “statutory duties.”

Through a combination of federal investigations, oversight, storytelling and even lawsuits, Warren told ABC News her campaigns have worked to provide the administration with checks and balances. Warren took credit for recently helping millions of students receive roughly $6 billion in FY25 title funding that is typically allocated on July 1, but was withheld for more than three weeks by the Office of Management and Budget for a “programmatic review” of education funding.

During the funding freeze, McMahon told ABC News that the administration wanted to ensure that student programs had “the right focus” and funds weren’t being misused.

“We organized groups and individuals to pressure the department to release those funds…,” Warren said. “This matters because that’s the money that’s often used for our kids with special needs, for after-school programs and others who help our kids get a high-quality education.”

Despite union criticism that the Education Department is carrying out unlawful layoffs, the department’s spokesperson, Madi Biedermann, told ABC News the agency followed all applicable laws and regulations when implementing its reduction in force.

Before the Senate left town, Warren vowed to continue fighting for the federal workforce.

“The Trump administration is committed to undercutting Social Security and eliminating the Department of Education,” she said. “This is not going to be a one and done.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.