Barnhart Gone -- Who's In Charge?

Social Security has not posted the name of the person designated as the Acting Commissioner of Social Security now that Jo Anne Barnhart's term as Commissioner has ended. An anonymous post on the CONNECT board reports that Linda McMahon, Social Security's Deputy Commissioner for Operations has the job, although this conflicts with the previously established hierarchy which would have given Larry W. Dye, the Commissioner's Chief of Staff, the job. It is certainly possible that the White House made this decision, but has not sent out a press release on what they would consider to be a very mundane matter.

Interestingly, although Social Security's website shows the Commissioner's job as vacant, it shows Martin Gerry still as Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs, even though Gerry was brought in by Barnhart and seemed to be her right hand man. It is a bit hard to imagine Gerry working with another Commissioner.