Independent Commissioner Of Social Security?

Take a look at some correspondence between Jim McCrery, the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee and Michael Astrue, the Commissioner of Social Security, on the effect of the children's insurance provisions recently passed by Congress and vetoed by the President. Astrue confirms that Social Security cannot tell for certain who is and who is not a citizen, which should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Note the last line in Astrue's letter: "The Office of Management and Budget advises me that there is no objection to the transmittal of this letter from the standpoint of the President's program." Why did an independent Commissioner of Social Security need the approval of the Office of Management and Budget to respond to a letter from a Congressman? Why is the "President's program" a matter of concern to an independent Commissioner of Social Security? Would Michael Astrue worry about the "President's program" if the President were Clinton or Obama or Edwards? What do we have ahead of us if Michael Astrue remains as Commissioner of Social Security through four years of a Democratic Presidency? That is how long his term of office lasts.

Note also that Astrue's stationery does not include a street address or any telephone number. That is the way it is with all virtually all Social Security stationery. It seems like they want to hide.