Iowa Field Office To Remain Open -- Office Closure Plans Not Looking Realistic

A press release:

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Bruce Braley (IA-1), announced today that after months of pushing for answers, federal officials finally agreed to keep Clinton’s Social Security Administration (SSA) office open. Harkin and Braley thanked the Social Security Commissioner for responding favorably to the concerns raised by the community and praised Clinton’s City Council for their tireless work that resulted in this big win.

“I am proud to be able to deliver this great news to the people of Clinton. We have fought tooth and nail to ensure that these residents had proper access to their Social Security office,” said Harkin. “The Clinton people’s determination to maintain their community has truly paid off and I look forward to continue working with them as they develop a long term economic redevelopment strategy that will revitalize their area.”

“I’m thrilled the Social Security Administration reversed their decision to close the Clinton office,” Braley said. “The people of Clinton fought hard to keep this office open. After a lot of hard work, our persistence has paid off and we’ve reached a positive end. With baby boomers on the edge of retirement, the demand for Social Security services in Clinton is only going to grow. Keeping the office open will provide Clinton seniors full access to services they need.”

The Clinton SSA Social Security office was set to close by June 1; residents would then have to drive over 40 miles to the Davenport office to address their needs.

The local paper contains this:

In a letter to Harkin and Braley, Linda McMahon, deputy commissioner for Operations at the SSA, said the original decision to close the office came after an assessment of field facilities. After the assessment, the SSA concluded that overall service could be improved by closing the Clinton office and relocating staff to the Davenport SSA office.

“While we believe we have valid reasons for our original decision, which is part of a larger plan to provide the most efficient service we can in the state of Iowa, we understand the concerns that you raised on behalf of your constituents. Consequently, we have determined it is best to maintain the status quo at this time,” McMahon wrote.

Earlier, office closures were averted due to political pressure in Connecticut and North Dakota and now political pressure causes Social Security to back off closing an office in Iowa. It is obvious now that if politicians with enough clout raise enough ruckus that Social Security will back off a field office closure.

I do not see closing a lot of Social Security field offices as politically realistic.