Michael Astrue, the last confirmed Commissioner of Social Security, left office on January 19, 2013. The Social Security Administration has been led by Acting Commissioners for more than six years now. I'm not sure that I want Andrew Saul, who has been nominated by President Trump, to be confirmed as Commissioner but I do wish that the agency had a confirmed Commissioner.
As a general matter, this long interregnum without a confirmed Commissioner is proof that the whole idea of Social Security as an independent agency has failed. The agency has not been removed from the political sphere. Either make Social Security a cabinet level department or fold it back into HHS.
Who in their right mind would want the job? The Agency faces multiple problems, brought on by years of neglect and budget shortfalls. Anyone that takes the job walks into a flaming train wreck and blogs like this will pounce on them like a lame gazelle at a watering hole during dry season.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that said they actually wanted the job should be disqualified on the basis of mental instability.
The lack of true leadership is apparent within the Agency. We don't manage any more, we react.
ReplyDeleteThe employees are doing the best they can with lack of permanent leadership, but morale is awful. Since this presidential administration took over, even the deputy commissioners must be assuming their heads are the chopping block. Planning is day to day and not made for the future.
ReplyDeleteWe still have a ludicrous disability backlog and waiting period, but there is no one permanent to review the business process for processing these cases (which is obviously not working).
Agree with 3:39; morale across the agency is in the toilet, and those who can get out are leaving for retirement or for other agencies. I have worked in nearly every area of SSA, and my institutional knowledge and I recently went to another agency that values its employees far more and provides a much better promotional path. SSA has been rudderless and adrift for six years, and it will take a lot to turn it around. The strategic plan is an absolute joke.
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