Three months after Donald Trump left office, unions and congressional Democrats say the man he left in charge of the vast Social Security system is making it harder for millions of Americans to get disability benefits and is undermining federal workers’ rights.
Andrew Saul, 74, one of the few remaining holdovers from the Republican president’s administration, told The Baltimore Sun through a spokesman that he intends to lead the Baltimore County-based Social Security Administration until his term ends in January 2025. ...
Saul’s defenders say he has been the subject of unwarranted criticism that is politically motivated.
“I just don’t see any case” for firing Saul for neglect or malfeasance, said Andrew Biggs, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. ...
You may recall that when Andrew Biggs was a Social Security employee he thought it was OK for him to go around the country with then President George W. Bush campaigning for the partial privatization of Social Security.
21 comments:
Better Call Saul. Unfortunately at least until 2025.
Biden should fire Saul for cause, which should be easy to establish. He does not believe in the mission of SSA, like Trump. The New Musculoskeletal Listings making it nearly impossible to be found disabled is a prime example. He has also been extremely slow implementing Biden’s EO’s on Labor relations. Saul not being in his office much of the time is also an issue. SSA desperately needs a generational change in management from top to bottom. Those at the very top have clearly dug in to stave off changes they do not want. Since their ideology is inconsistent with the mission of SSA, it is imperative Biden fire them now. Failure to do so will drag SSA farther into the ground. Saul, Black & others at the very top must go. Public Advocacy Groups, please recognize these top SSA Officials have dug their feet in and persistently advocate cause for their firing. If this does not happen, these individuals are going to do their very best to stop anything that improves the process for disability claimants & seniors, as well as in labor & employee relations.
Still waiting for the day there is a commissioner appointed that the blog doesnt want to stone. I am pretty sure that will be a sign of the End Times.
anon@11:02am,
It has been repeated here many times that Saul hasn't done anything that rises to the level of malfeasance where he can be fired. He did EXACTLY what he was ordered to do by Trump, no more and no less. That isn't malfeasance. Neither was ending telework. Employees might not have liked it, the Unions might have not liked it and spent a lot of time whining about it, but it was perfectly within his power as SSA Commissioner to do what he did.
What about the musculoskeletal listings? Well, the truth of the matter is that Biden HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY to pull those musculoskeletal listings well before their effective date. However, he apparently had little concern about Social Security recipients, and thus couldn't be bothered to actually pick up the phone and ORDER Saul to do it. Like every other President in the last umpteen years, Social Security was a good election issue. However, once the election was over, Biden (like all the others) is not going to follow through.
Similarly, Biden could pick up his phone today and unconditionally ORDER Saul and Black to implement his executive orders within the week, but hasn't done so and he won't do so. Because, then he would actually have to expend effort to do something about Saul and Black.
Please don't presume this to be a defense of Saul or Black. I personally consider both of them to be the worst kind of slimy political scum. However, malfeasance is something that has to be provable in a court of law, and you haven't cited ANYTHING that even remotely rises to that level.
This mess is going to continue until Biden decides to man up and do something about it. In other words, ain't nuthin' gonna change anytime soon.
11:02 here. Who said your definition and standard for Malfeasance is what Biden is obligated to use in order to fire people? My experience is that it is no where near what you make it out to be. Trump fired Federal Agency Officials for much less than anything you describe, and they weren’t all Appointees, either.
Your assertion Saul can sit on Biden’s EO’s concerning Labor unions & labor & employee relationships is flat out wrong. Saul MUST implement them immediately! Why in God’s name do you not believe Saul, Black and others can ignore them? If Saul & Black have done absolutely nothing to execute the EO’s in these areas, that is more than plenty reason to fire them.
You say you’re not defending Saul or Black. You sure are doing quite a job trying to defend them?!
@1:06: "However, malfeasance is something that has to be provable in a court of law, and you haven't cited ANYTHING that even remotely rises to that level."
True, but that's because it's hard to prove malfeasance when Saul hasn't done anything in the past 6 months. And he wasn't exactly known for his active influence before Biden was elected, either. For Saul, this is just an easy way to keep his name in the public and collect some cash.
POTUS does not have to go to court, or use their definition. Biden can easily fire, especially if they have not even moved on the EO’s.
1:48: Trump never had to prove anything with his numerous firings of non- Appointees he fired, now did he?
Saul abruptly ending telework without good reason, destroying employee morale, changing the listings, and attacking AFGE, all this combines to malfeasance in my book. Biden should call him and give him a week to resign, or else be fired. And tell him to take Black with him.
If Saul wants to fight his dismissal let him go to Congress or court. I don't think he will have much luck especially with the current makeup of Congress.
The man is 10 years older than I am, and I'm retiring. Saul is 74 years old. I don't understand why he is so determined to hang on to the Commissioner job until he's pushing 80. He could just say he's retiring and walk away with some dignity.
2 points:
1. Start an investigation on his rampant absenteeism, just like all the other swamp masters that Trump installed, there will be slime just underneath the surface
2. He is still there because Biden still wants him there otherwise point 1.
Rule of thumb. If's about Social Security, whatever Andy Biggs says, reality is the exact opposite. Never had it fail.
These comments are interesting. But, when was the last time SSA had any commissioner who did any actual work or did anything to improve the workplace for employees at SSA or improve public service by SSA?
What SSA needs is a Commissioner who knows, believes in, and will advocate for the program. But what SSA also needs is an Administration that will do likewise.
@8:30:
It’s high time SSA has a Commissioner who believes in the mission of the Agency; an Attorney who understands Due Process and has Insider experience; someone who is intelligent, well educated, collegiate and is smart enough to not run SSA like a production in a Sweatshop obsessed by numbers and cannot get beyond such a narrow focus; someone who understands employees should be treated with dignity & respect, rather than with threats and other punitive measures, which will go a long way toward keeping employee morale high; and someone who will not promote, or rehire favorites who are unqualified, or whose only interest is a higher salary, or a golden parachute on which to retire, as though the one they already have is not golden enough! These types of golden sweet deals given to favorites across the board must stop! The individual should also understand the importance of labor and employee relations, the important role unions have in this, and are far too intelligent to know not to sit on EO’s from a POTUS ordering the Agency to return to the Collective Bargaining table and other thing. The current conduct by Saul, Black, et.al., of refusing to act on EO’s from the POTUS is insubordination and completely unacceptable.
anon@8:30pm,
It has never had such a commissioner. They all talk a big game, but in the end are all more interested in improving their golf games than they are in improving the Social Security Administration.
The Democratic Party has not named a COSS since the 90s. Barnhart got a political plum from Bush 43 for managing a failed Senatorial campaign. Astrue went in also under 43 to oversee privatization (and then the economy failed). Saul got in under the former guy to clog up the works. Obama tried to appoint Colvin but McConnell put a stop to that. Biden surely wants to do better?
2:10, 1:14 here: I believe your comment is in response to the comment made by 8:30. You are correct that SSA has never had a Commissioner with ALL the traits I mentioned. This is the trouble with most Political Appointees, as these positions tend to go to high dollar donors to POTUS Campaigns, and to those who tirelessly work on these Campaigns. To this extent, perhaps Congress should consider the SSA Commissioner not be a Political Appointment made exclusively by a POTUS. Perhaps it could be done by a designated Congressional Committee, or Board, willing to accept input from Insiders. Also, I do not believe any POTUS should be allowed to nominate unqualified individuals to Political Appointee positions, which Trump routinely did. In fact, Trump’s Political Appointee nominations often had a well known background of being against the very mission of the Agency. This should not be tolerated. Further, Political Appointments necessary to keep Administrative courts running, such as the MSPB, EEOC & others, should NEVER be allowed to be stalled thereby preventing these Administrative Courts from functioning as they should while cases pile up and sit there. I hope once Biden is more settled in with his primary Bills he wants Congress to pass, Congress will address some of the overriding of Congress Trump engaged in this realm. What happened at some of the Administrative Courts over 4 years was unconscionable and should never be allowed to happen again.
I cannot disagree with you because you are correct. I try to be optimistic better things can happen. Now Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remains a problematic barrier to Bills passed by the House moving forward in the Senate. Too bad all those Kentuckians dependent on SSA Disability &/or Retirement benefits continue to vote against their own best interests by only voting for candidates with an “R” by their name. At a certain point, one would think a few of these individuals recognize this and tell others who are similarly situated, but I have yet to see any evidence of this.
@2:10pm Sadly, you are right. Given how many lives are impacted by the SSA one would think/hope that one day it would be run well. But, yet, it remains one of the mostly poorly run, if not the most poorly run, federal agencies as it does not treat employees fairly at field offices or hearing offices and does not provide good public service. What a travesty.
11:43 you are partly right, but everyone who is on disability believes that everyone who is trying to get it is a fraud.
11:43 here: I agree. This is a very truthful way of viewing this oddity.
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