AMHERST — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern continues to tour the state, holding town halls across his district, and will again appear in Hadley on Sunday to rally farmers facing losses of federal aid as grants are put on hold or canceled by by the Trump administration. But his stop Friday brought him to the Applewood Retirement Living community in Amherst, where residents were especially concerned about President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s unpredictable, potentially disastrous tinkering with Social Security.

“When Trump ran he said he wasn’t going to touch Social Security. Now Elon tells everybody it’s a Ponzi scheme,” said McGovern, who has represented central Massachusetts in Washington since 1997 and made it clear to those present that Social Security is not a privilege, but an earned benefit.

“You paid into it, and we have got to make sure that no one screws around with it,” he said.

This comes less than a day after a federal judge placed a temporary restraining order on Musk’s access to Social Security data, ruling that the American people did not consent to have their private Social Security information be made available to affiliates of DOGE — the so-called Department of Government Efficiency headed by Musk that has been responsible for cutting $115 billion in federal funding, according to DOGE’s website as of Friday morning.

Starting March 31, the new leadership of the agency says, millions of Social Security recipients will no longer be able to verify their identity over the phone, creating a challenge for older Americans and those with disabilities to verify their information online or appear in person at a Social Security office — even as it moves to shutter nearly 50 such offices around the country.

This was a primary concern for participant Elizabeth Davis, who raised the topic during the town hall.

“We’re seeing them laying off employees at Social Security offices all throughout the country, and talking about closing down Social Security offices,” said McGovern, who added that as a “technologically challenged” person, he can understand that with more than 70 million people receiving benefits, coupled with closing offices, it is a probable disaster for seniors who may be forced to upload their information, or try to go in person.

“It could be complicated, and a lot of people may not [submit their information],” he said, adding that this could snowball into potentially countless people, who worked hard to earn their benefits, from receiving what is theirs. And to make matters worse, he said, many receiving Social Security are on fixed incomes and could have their lives ruined in this process.

This was just one of the many themes McGovern touched on, including the projects that are most near to him, which includes equitable access to nutritious foods, the threat of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and the Trump administration’s widespread misinformation campaign. He also highlighted his ambition to turn his party around, which at present lacks any effective political momentum.

Part of this turnaround will come from formulating solutions to real problems — among them devising a strategy to take on corporations and their greed, McGovern said, as part of the mission of the Democratic Party going forward. Another is reorienting the conversation concerning immigrants as both good for the country and necessary for our workforce.

“We need to start telling people what we’re for,” said McGovern.

He pointed out that he, like others in his party, are using town halls, social media, and any means possible to “get the word out.” Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has twice run for president, as well as Rep. Alexandria Occasio-Cortez of New York, have both been trying to take their message to the streets as town halls with Democratic politicians are becoming a standard for coming together, brainstorming, as well as occasionally hearing the voices of those who felt let down by the party and as a result shifted over to Trump.

McGovern reminded those present of their own power, encouraging them to be as educated and articulate as possible, and to also not shy away from correcting the record when speaking with Trump supporters, whether they be family members or friends.

“Everybody has power,” he said. To solidify the point that every voice matters, he joked, “Try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.”

Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.