I can now confirm that the Senate compromise on the Obama economic stimulus package (see lines 461-464) does not change the amount going to the Social Security Administration from the bill that was reported to the Senate floor. The amount is still $893 million with $750 million going towards building a new National Computer Center (which will be several years into the future) ,$140 million going to other information technology projects at Social Security and $3 million to Social Security's Inspector General. The bill that passed the House contained $400 million for the National Computer Center, $500 million for reducing backlogs at Social Security and $2 million for the Inspector General. Assuming the Senate compromise passes, which seems likely, this matter then goes to a Conference Committee to work out the differences between the two bills.
Update: Here is a link to the actual text of the amendment. The Social Security part begins on page 148.
Update: Here is a link to the actual text of the amendment. The Social Security part begins on page 148.
10 comments:
I am just going to start deleting any comments directed at the general merits of the economic stimulus package. This blog is about Social Security. The economy and politics are relevant only to the extent they impact Social Security or Social Security impacts them. There are other places for general economic and political debates.
CTH
Mr hall,please post the latest hearing report.
Okay, here goes--I just read a summary of the Senate version that lists an appropriation of three BILLION dollars for the SDW cases. I do not know how accurate that is.If true, it is unbelievably ridiculous. That represents MILLIONS of hours of overtime for the few hundred cr's who are working those cases. This would be proof that the politicians who came up with this are so utterly clueless that all hope is lost.
The SDW funding is not for processing cases. It is to reimburse States for their Medicaid expenditures for people who should have been covered by Medicare. If you read the legislation, the money is to be paid from CMS to the States, and requires them to drop any pending legal actions against the Federal government related to SDW.
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