From U.S. News and World Report:
... The White House's Office of Management and Budget has notified staff at the Social Security Advisory Board that it plans to cut the board's annual budget from around $3 million to zero, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public budgetary details. ...
Note that this is completely illegal, at least if this is something to be done now instead of just a proposal for the next federal budget. Congress has appropriated money for SSAB. The President lacks the power to unilaterally withhold the money or terminate the agency.
7 comments:
If there is an existing government agency that is truly a waste of taxpayer dollars, it is SSAB. I invite you to look at their reports and "recommendations" and find anything that is new, groundbreaking, or impactful. They just combine research that has already been done by others into reports, add citations, and label it as theirs. Also, they removed the names of their staff from their website so you cannot see the exorbitant salaries they are collecting and how they do not line up with their "expertise." The staff director is making over $200k and two other senior staff are making over $190k with no justification for their pay (one of them is an attorney with zero SSA experience. Why does SSAB need an attorney?). Board members just attend meetings, asking questions of SSA staff - total waste of time. If the administration is eliminating hard working employees who have extensive government experience, are subject matter experts in their field, and are truly making a difference in the lives of the public, why are we concerned with these people? The only valuable work that was coming out of SSAB was the Trustees report. I do even think they publish that anymore.
Wrong. He lacks authorization, but he has all the power in the world until Congress decides to have a backbone.
12:26 - without references, your pay assertions are BS>
Staff are GS employees paid under GS payscales. Members get paid a daily "salary" not an annual salary.
Members of the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) are compensated a daily rate equivalent to the basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule for each day they are engaged in the Board's business, including travel. This also includes expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. The current Executive Schedule level IV pay is $182,500 per year, or $182,500 / 213 = $857.05 per day.
Elaboration:
• The Social Security Act specifies that members of the SSAB receive compensation for their time.
• This compensation is calculated as a daily rate based on the Executive Schedule.
• Level IV of the Executive Schedule is the specific standard used for compensation.
• Travel and per diem expenses are also covered when members are engaged in Board business away from home.
Agree with 12:56AM on the SSAB being a waste of taxpayer money. All of these ancillary boards have never had to justify their existence. Good riddance
Anonymous 4:04 obviously works for the board. Board members and board support staff are two separate groups. Board members are nominated by Congress and the current administration. Board staff are direct hires without competition so there is no basis for what they earn. They are not on the GS pay scale, they are AD - Administratively Determined. There are supposed to be 7 Board members. They are down to 4. There hasn’t been a full board in years. The people responsible for nominating them aren’t even bothering. If the administration runs into legal issues (which I doubt) they could easy get around this by continuing to fund the board, but cancel all board meetings, fire all staff, and don’t nominate/renominate board members. Funding continues, but if there’s no one to spend the funds, the money gets returned. Problem solved.
SSA employees - the real workers- are getting their rights taken away and are getting fired. We should all be livid if they continue to fund this “board with no purpose.”
Congress required the staff director and board member salaries to be paid on the SES scale.
I doubt 4:04 works for the Board since they got wrong the fact that staff are not on the GS scale as you noted. There reason there hasn't been full board is bc Presidential nominations never got voted on in the Senate. The 4 existing members are all appointees of the Congress. Not sure how the executive branch could claim power to remove them. Nort could they order the Board not to meet since they are mandated by law to meet a minimum of 4 times per year. If Congress does not want it to exist they can de-authorize it I suppose. NOty Sur what happens when a law mandates a body operate but then does not appropriate funds. A curiosity no doubt.
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