Senate Finance Committe Hearing Today

     The Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing at 10:00 today (June 18) on Work and Social Security Disability Benefits: Addressing Challenges and Creating Opportunities. You can watch it online. Here's the witness list:

• William R. Morton, Analyst, Income Security, Congressional Research Service
• Susan B. Wilschke,  Associate Commissioner, Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Support, Social Security Administration
• Erin Godtland, Assistant Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, United States Government Accountability Office
• Katherine Zuleger, President, Chicago Social Security Management Association Executive Committee Member, National Council of Social Security Management Association
  

Wyden Praises O'Malley

     The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has saluted the new Commissioner of Social Security for going forward with proposed rules to allow use of electronic wage reporting to reduce overpayments.

Overdue

    From Joe Davidson at the Washington Post:

The Democratic chairman of a powerful Senate committee on Wednesday called on President Biden to fire the lead watchdog for the Social Security Administration, pointing to stalled investigations and plunging staff morale.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the White House, Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said promises by Inspector General Gail Ennis to “establish a culture that welcomes debate, collaboration, and transparency … appear to have been hollow.”

“I urge you to remove her,” Wyden wrote. ...

SSI Application Drawing Congressional Attention

     The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Social Security, has written to the Acting Commissioner of Social Security to express concern over the process for applying for Supplemental Security Income benefits. The letter asks a number of pointed questions about what is going on.

Senate To Investigate Ennis And OIG

Ennis

     Lisa Rein writes for the Washington Post that the Senate Finance Committee is preparing a bipartisan investigation of Social Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and its head,  Gail Ennis. OIG has been in the news because of allegations of overly harsh punitive actions against some claimants and of retaliation against whistleblowers.

     I’d call Ennis a fool for hanging around for this. What was already out made it clear she was in major trouble. This sort of Congressional investigation was inevitable. It’s not going to be pretty. 

     By the way, are there any criminal statutes implicated here? It would be a little awkward for an Inspector General to take the 5th.