Skirting Disclosure Requirements

President Obama ordered that all agencies report each and every communication between any government agency and a lobbyist regarding expenditures under the economic stimulus bill. Despite this very explicit order, Social Security has reported no communications with any lobbyist regarding its very large expenditures under the economic stimulus bill. In fact, Pro Publica reports that almost no reports have been filed by any federal agency. How to explain this? Pro Publica reports that lobbyists are skirting the rules by assigning the lobbying to junior staffers and attorneys who are not registered lobbyists.

In my opinion, this ought to be stopped. President Obama should amend his order to require that reports be filed regardless of whether the contact is made by a registered lobbyist.

Recovery Act Lobbying

The economic recovery act signed by the President on March 20 gave the Social Security Administration a good deal of extra funding, but there were some catches. The act requires all federal agencies to disclose contacts between agency personnel and registered lobbyists concerning recovery act funds. Social Security has issued instructions to its staff concerning the disclosure provisions. Disclosure forms are supposed to be posted online. Thus far, no disclosure forms have been posted to Social Security's "Recovery Act and Lobbyists" website, which notes that the reports of contact "will be posted as received." I have a hard time believing that there have been no contacts.

SSI: Crackpots With Money

From the website of the Social Security Institute (SSI):

The Social Security Institute (SSI) is a national, 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan seniors’ advocacy organization working to promote the retirement security of today’s seniors and the seniors of tomorrow. SSI’s top policy priorities are to stop the raid on the Social Security Trust Funds, prevent cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, and protect seniors from health care rationing and other limitations on their access to health care.

And this is their explanation of what they mean by the "raid on the Social Security Trust Funds:"

The Administration intends to spend half the Social Security surplus during this year and next to bail out big, bad banks. The total Social Security surplus in 2009 is projected to equal $217 billion; the Obama Administration proposes to spend $125 billon of it to bail out the banks. The total Social Security surplus in 2010 is projected to equal $231.1 billion; The Obama Administration proposes to spend $125 billion of it to bail out the banks. Had enough? Mad enough? Riled up enough? Sign the petition to stop raiding Social Security and future generations to bail out big, bad banks and insurance companies.

OK, investing the Social Security trust funds in U.S. government bonds that go to pay for things that this group does not like is a "raid" on the Social Security trust funds. So, what should Social Security do with the money in the trust funds? Invest in the U.S. stock market? That doesn't look like quite as good an option as it did a couple of years ago to anyone, including this group The SSI website recommends that individuals invest in gold, foreign currencies and foreign stocks. Maybe that is how the group wants to invest Social Security trust funds.

I would guess that the SSI is quite well funded. Their website is well designed. They has at least three staff members.

By the way, the SSI website throws around the word "fascism" quite freely.

Should Make For Interesting Reading

Under President Obama's Memorandum of March 20 executive branch agencies receiving funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) may not consider the views of any lobbyist about expenditures under ARRA unless those views are expressed in writing. These written communications must be posted online within three business days. This does not prevent in-person meetings or telephone conversations in addition to the written statement, but the agency must post a summary of such conversations within three business days.

As best I can tell, Social Security is not yet in compliance with this portion of the March 20 Memorandum. This is not unusual. The Sunlight Foundation reports that few agencies are.

You can already find out online who has been lobbying Social Security, but until now you have been unable to find out what they are saying.

Stay tuned.