Joe Davidson's Federal Diary column in today's Washington Post discusses yesterday's hearing before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Davidson reveals the crucial fact that "The investigations subcommittee is a bit unusual in that, unlike on most congressional panels, members of the minority party, Republicans at the moment, can initiate hearings." This hearing was initiated by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Coburn and two other Republican Senators had requested the report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Astrue called the GAO report "fatally and hopelessly flawed" in his prepared remarks for the Subcommittee. He complained the the GAO report !inflammatorily characterized the situation it found." Gregory Kurtz, the GAO employee who prepared the report said that Social Security "expressed its displeasure even more vividly in private."
Unfortunately, Davidson accepts the basic premise of the GAO report that anyone who is working and drawing Social Security disability benefits at the same time is a fraud. As a matter of Social Security law, this is flatly wrong. It is quite legal to work and draw Social Security disability benefits at the same time within certain limits. Ask yourself a couple of simple questions. Do we want people who draw Social Security disability benefits to return to work? Is it a good idea to reflexively accuse someone who does this of a criminal offense?
Astrue called the GAO report "fatally and hopelessly flawed" in his prepared remarks for the Subcommittee. He complained the the GAO report !inflammatorily characterized the situation it found." Gregory Kurtz, the GAO employee who prepared the report said that Social Security "expressed its displeasure even more vividly in private."
Unfortunately, Davidson accepts the basic premise of the GAO report that anyone who is working and drawing Social Security disability benefits at the same time is a fraud. As a matter of Social Security law, this is flatly wrong. It is quite legal to work and draw Social Security disability benefits at the same time within certain limits. Ask yourself a couple of simple questions. Do we want people who draw Social Security disability benefits to return to work? Is it a good idea to reflexively accuse someone who does this of a criminal offense?
3 comments:
"Frankie and Flo Fed are overpaid"
These are the words from the washingtonpost dated today.
I have been stating this the whole time.
Anonymous, the full quote:
"Nonetheless, the report's title feeds the perception, advanced with some frequency this year by conservative members of Congress and their think tank supporters, that Frankie and Flo Fed are overpaid and, now, cheaters to boot. "
Talk about taking a quote out of context....
Easy solution: Do earnings enforcement for DIB the same way as the under-FRA RIB crowd. Get rid of IRWE, subsidies, trial work periods, the whole mishmash. No more "employment networks" (HUGE waste of taxpayers' money),no more gazillion year retroactive overpayments. Just do it.
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