Below is a table from the President's budget proposal for the Social Security Administration's operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019). FY 2019 will begin on October 1, 2018. Note that this is a basically flat proposal, which means that it would be a budget cut when you consider inflation. That's why significant staffing cuts are predicted.
However, because of the budget bill that was just approved, the President's entire FY 2019 budget is virtually meaningless. The budget bill that was just signed provides for significant budget increases for civilian agencies while the President's budget would call for cuts. The enacted budget bill governs. This budget proposal is nothing more than the pipe dream of Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, who is a noted budget hawk at least when it comes to civilian agencies.
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According to an e-mail I just received from NOSSCR, the budget also proposes to eliminate SSA's role in the approval and payment of representative fees. As justification for this change, the proposal "would streamline and decrease our operations and hearings workloads." It sure would decrease the hearing workload because claimants would no longer be able to find representatives to take their cases. Let's hope this proposed budget never sees the light of day.
ReplyDeleteThe most concerning proposal contained in the President’s budget is the proposal to eliminate SSA’s role in the approval and payment of representative fees. The proposal, in its entirety reads:
ReplyDelete"Representative Fee and Approval Process Change. This proposal relieves our agency of responsibility for fee approval, withholding, and payment functions; however, it would not affect our ability to prescribe who may and may not represent claimants. This proposal would streamline and decrease our operations and hearings workloads, allowing employees to focus on adjudicating more cases and completing other high priority workloads, thereby better serving the public."
How many times has the turkey shown up at the budget dinner table, I wonder. Probably at least 20. It's fate this time will likely be exactly the same as the last 20. Let's hope, anyhow.
ReplyDeleteA Message to All SSA Employees
ReplyDeleteSubject: Fiscal Year 2019 President’s Budget
Today, the President released his fiscal year (FY) 2019 Budget to Congress for consideration. The FY 2019 President’s Budget provides $12.673 billion to operate our agency.
The Budget aligns with our new Agency Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018–2022 to support our core mission. Our Agency Strategic Plan drives our resource decisions, service improvements, and our program integrity efforts. It focuses on our three strategic goals:
• Deliver Services Effectively;
• Improve the Way We Do Business; and
• Ensure Stewardship.
The 2019 Budget will allow us to address key backlogs, support our frontlines, and reduce improper payments. In addition, we will concentrate on becoming more efficient and effective, with a focus on our information technology modernization efforts. The President’s Budget acknowledges the importance of this work by providing us additional funding to achieve our IT Modernization plan.
Most notably, the President’s Budget supports our continued progress in eliminating the hearings backlog by the end of FY 2022. We have reduced the hearings pending each of the last 13 months.
We look forward to working with Congress on our FY 2019 Budget. For more information about the President’s Budget for our agency, please go to www.socialsecurity.gov/budget/. For what we commit to achieve with this budget, please see our Annual Performance Report.
Nancy A. Berryhill
Acting Commissioner
Straight from the Heritage Foundation and their primary funder the Koch brothers.
ReplyDeleteWell the GOP House is now worried about deficit spending. Of course the big tax cut they just passed has nothing to do with it. Their target will be entitlement reforms. Probably DOA in the senate but is goes to show the mentality of these people.
ReplyDeleteThis will be really great for the Presidents rural white voters who are under educated, worn out from work and many suffering from mental illness and opioid addiction. If we are going to prevent people from dying on the street or getting their mental health/substance treatment in prison we need to be encouraging lawyers to help with these people. I love all of the talk from this administration about curing opioid addiction and improving mental healthcare. I say talk because that is excactly what it is, just talk. Donald Trump speaks with a forked tongue
ReplyDelete