September 27th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

 Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) led over a dozen of their colleagues in a letter to President Biden, urging him to nominate a Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to serve at the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration has been without permanent leadership for over a year, making it difficult to address longstanding challenges that the agency faces in providing service to Americans who rely on these benefits.

 

The Senators write, “Today Social Security covers over 179 million workers, and over 70 million people receive monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.  More than one out of every six U.S. residents collects Social Security benefits and older Americans make up about four out of every five beneficiaries.  Recent U.S. Census Bureau reports show that Social Security provides over half of the income for older adults, and nearly all of their income for one in four older adults.  Social Security continues to be one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the country, lifting over 22 million Americans out of poverty.”

 

“The Social Security Commissioner is directly responsible for all programs administered by the agency, including state-administered programs directed by SSA. Nominating and confirming a permanent Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner would provide accountable leadership to the agency and reassure the public of SSA’s commitment to supporting the vulnerable populations that rely on its programs,” they continue.

 

The Senators go on to note, “The Social Security Administration’s longstanding labor-management problems worsened under the prior Administration. Under prior leadership, SSA was among the most hostile agencies in the federal government in the way it chose to implement the since-repealed anti-union executive orders from 2018. Employee satisfaction is falling at SSA, and SSA employees report feelings of exhaustion at among the highest rates of any federal agency.  Permanent, Senate-confirmed leadership at the agency will help improve this longstanding challenge for the agency and its employees.”

 

Senators Van Hollen and Brown led the following Senators in the letter: Senators Carper (D-Del.), Padilla (D-Calif.), Baldwin (D-Wis.), Casey (D-Pa.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Markey (D-Mass.), Cardin (D-Md.), Murray (D-Wash.), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Warren (D-Mass.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Blumenthal (D-Conn.).