Feb 17, 2007

Commissioner Astrue's First Press Release

The first press release from Michael Astrue, the new Commissioner of Social Security:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today issued the following statement regarding the agency’s Fiscal Year 2007 Budget:

“President Bush has signed the Fiscal Year 2007 Continuing Appropriations Resolution that includes annual funding for the Social Security Administration. The good news is the $9.3 billion allocation includes sufficient funds to avoid employee furloughs, which were a real possibility if the agency had to operate at funding levels considered by Congress earlier in the year.

“The resolution is an increase of about $185 million for Social Security’s administrative expenses when compared to the agency’s FY 2006 appropriation. However, it is a reduction of about $200 million when compared to the FY 2007 budget President Bush requested for the agency.

“I want to thank the Administration and Members of Congress who worked to ensure our employees could continue to serve the people who depend on Social Security. I am confident that Social Security employees will continue to do all that they can to provide the public with the service they need.”

You would think from this that Astrue was satisfied with the budget his agency got.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Charles,

Sorry for this way to contact you, but I could not find any contact information about you.

Could you please contact me per email under office@security-companies.eu? I would like to ask you for some cooperation.

Regards,
Phil
http://www.security-companies.eu

Anonymous said...

"I am confident that Social Security employees will continue to do all that they can to provide the public with the service they need.”:

I don't know if it sounds like the new Commissioner is happy. It sounds to me like he is saying, albeit in a subtle way, that SSA workers' will continue to do their best with an impossible workload and an inadequate budget.