OK Mr. Whiz Kid, Make It Work Better

 

    From Popular Information:

The Trump administration has installed a DOGE operative as the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in an apparent effort to evade a federal court order blocking DOGE affiliates from accessing databases containing the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans. 

Popular Information obtained an internal memorandum from Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek announcing Scott Coulter, a DOGE operative previously assigned to NASA and the SSA, as the SSA's new CIO. 

The move, which was not announced publicly, seems related to a federal lawsuitfiled by a coalition of labor unions — including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) — on February 21. The lawsuit alleged that DOGE officials were accessing "personal, confidential, private, and sensitive data from the Social Security Administration" in violation of federal law, including the Privacy Act. The labor unions sued the SSA, Dudek, and then-CIO Michael Russo to stop the disclosure of the data to DOGE. 

On March 21, the federal judge overseeing the AFSCME case, Ellen Lipton Hollander, granted the plaintiffs a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) which prohibited SSA, Dudek, and Russo from "granting access to any SSA system of record containing personally identifiable information" to DOGE or any "members of the DOGE team established at the SSA." The order defined the DOGE team at SSA as "any person assigned to SSA to fulfill the DOGE agenda." …

     I’ll say this. The longer Coulter hangs around Social Security the fewer illusions he’ll have about the agency.  At this point DOGE’s illusions about Social Security may be a bigger threat than its malevolence.

The Whole Truth?

      From the Washington Post:

Frank Bisignano, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Social Security Administration, testified under oath at his confirmation hearing Tuesday that he has had no contact with the Elon Musk cost-cutting team that is directing a major downsizing of the agency. 

But Sen. Ron Wyden (Oregon), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the claim is “not true,” citing an account the senator said he received from a senior Social Security official who recently left the agency. The former official — whose detailed statement was shared with The Washington Post — described “numerous contacts Mr. Bisignano made with the agency since his nomination,” including “frequent” conversations with senior executives. 

The nominee “personally appointed” Michael Russo, the chief information officer leading Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service team at Social Security, and the two speak frequently about agency operations, the former executive said. 

The Post confirmed the former official’s account with two people, including another former senior official who heard Russo speak regularly about his interactions with Bisignano over policy changes. The other, a disability advocate, said she was told by acting commissioner Leland Dudek that the nominee and Russo “spoke multiple times a day” about Social Security operations. The advocate requested anonymity to preserve her relationship with the agency, while the former official did so because they were not authorized to disclose internal details…. 

The former official said in their statement to Wyden that after Russo had trouble persuading the career staff to expedite the hiring of a DOGE software engineer named Akash Bobba, “Mr. Bisignano personally intervened … to instruct SSA staff to onboard Mr. Bobba and give him immediate access” to the agency’s private data systems. Bisignano did not address what role he may have had in helping Bobba gain access. Bobba and Russo did not respond to requests for comment. …

Senate Republicans Say “Don’t Blame Us”

      From NBC News:

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is moving to downsize the Social Security Administration with office closures, cutbacks on phone services and new rules requiring in-person visits for some prospective beneficiaries to register.

And DOGE is making those changes without consulting or notifying some of the most senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill who oversee Social Security, including GOP allies of President Donald Trump. …

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., a Senate Finance Committee member who on Tuesday pressed Trump’s nominee to lead the Social Security Administration about long wait times for customer service, said in an interview that he, too, hasn’t been in the loop for the administration’s changes.

“No, we haven’t,” he said. “I haven’t had any heads-up on any specific announcements.” … 

     If there were only something these Senate Republicans could do, like delay a nomination or hold a hearing on what DOGE is doing, but, of course, that’s out of the question. 

Reports On The Confirmation Hearing

     I haven't yet been able to watch the Bisignano confirmation hearing. I'll get to it when I can. In the meantime, here are reports from ABC and NBC.

Chaotic Conditions At Social Security -- But Maybe The Post Office Will Help

 

    From the Washington Post:

The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts because the servers were overloaded. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones at the front desk as receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. But the agency no longer has a system to monitor customers’ experience with these services, because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. ...

Depending on the time of day, a recorded message [on the 800 line] tells callers that their wait on hold will last more than 120 minutes or 180 minutes. Some report being on hold for four or five hours. A callback function was only available three out of 12 times when a reporter for The Post called the toll-free line last week, presumably because the queue that day was so long that the call would not be returned by close of business. ...

On Monday, Dudek said the agency is working with U.S. Postal Service on an agreement to take on new requirements to verify claimants’ identities. ...

Meanwhile, a DOGE-imposed spending freeze has left many field offices without paper, pens and the phone headsets staff need to do their jobs communicating with callers — at the exact moment phone calls are spiking, the employee in Indiana said.

The freeze drove all federal credit cards to a $1 limit. Social Security saw the number of its approved purchasers reduced to about a dozen people for 1,300 offices, said one agency employee in the Northeast.

...

Self Awareness In Advance Of The Bisignano Nomination Hearing

      From a New York Times piece on the Bisignano nomination:

… Because of Mr. Dudek’s self-admitted bumpy tenure, he said he did not expect to last much longer.

“I can’t imagine the nominee would want to keep me after the way I’ve been doing things here,” Mr. Dudek said, adding that he had had no contact with Mr. Bisignano. …

     Remember, the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Bisignano is set to begin at 10:00 Eastern time today.  Watch it online.

     I wouldn’t shed many tears for Dudek. The wingnutosphere always takes care of its foot soldiers.

Rushing Teleservice Cuts

      From Axios:

The Social Security Administration is rushing cuts to phone services at the White House's request, the agency's acting commissioner told Social Security advocates in a meeting on Monday, two sources who attended tell Axios. …

Driving the news: Acting commissioner Leland Dudek said the changes in question would usually take two years to implement, but will be made in two weeks instead, the two sources said on condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation. 

• Dudek also said the changes, happening so fast and with little public understanding, will create opportunities for scammers, one of the sources said.
• There will be individuals who will be victims of fraud as a result of the changes, Dudek said, according to one attendee. He said in the past Social Security had been too "thoughtful" in considering beneficiaries before making changes. …

     Why, exactly, would they be in a rush to cut telephone service?  It’s like they really embrace being evil.

That Videotaped Meeting

 

    Take a look at the taped meeting Social Security just posted. You'd think that Social Security's problems are almost all technical, problems that a good leader can resolve. It is the message that Bisignano can solve Social Security's problems without additional resources. Good luck with that!

Press Release On Transparency And Accountability -- So, Uh, What Are You Doing About The 800 Number Wait Times Apart From Encouraging Employees Who Answer The Phones To Quit?

Press Release

Social Security Increases Transparency and Accountability
Shares More Information Online

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced today several new initiatives and resources to promote greater transparency and accountability.

“President Trump has been clear that good government must serve the People. This begins with being transparent in how its government makes decisions and operates as good stewards of the resources entrusted to it,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “With this guiding principle in mind, Social Security is taking several important steps to increase transparency and accountability in order to help others understand our agency’s work and the complexities we navigate.”

What to Know about Proving Your Identity: SSA recently announced it is strengthening identity proofing requirements for people who do not use a personal my Social Security account to apply for cash benefits or to change direct deposit information for benefits. To help the public understand the new policy, SSA today published a new webpage, What to Know about Proving Your Identity | SSA.

Weekly Operational Report Meetings: Acting Commissioner Dudek meets with his senior leadership team throughout the week to tackle a range of challenges facing the agency. During the Weekly Operational Report (WOR) meeting, leaders focus on specific topics, the options presented to the acting commissioner, and the resulting decisions made during these meetings. Beginning March 14, 2025, each WOR is recorded and published to SSA’s YouTube channel. The WOR Playlist is available here: SSA Weekly Operational Report Meetings

Agency Actions: Acting Commissioner Dudek also published online a summary of select agency challenges, options presented, and the Acting Commissioner’s ultimate decisions. SSA plans to update this page periodically to include notable matters the current Administration is solving. Agency Actions | SSA

National 800 Number Wait Times: The American people do not receive the prompt customer service they deserve when calling the agency’s 800 number. Despite the knowledge, dedication, and experience of SSA’s telephone representatives, customers wait too long to speak with a representative. People deserve to know the wait time challenges they will face if unable to use the agency’s secure and convenient online services. Acting Commissioner Dudek is increasing the level of detail shared with the public to provide an honest and transparent view of wait times. Social Security Performance | SSA and Contact Social Security By Phone

Efficiencies and Cost Avoidance: SSA works closely with the General Services Administration to identify unused and underutilized office space. SSA published its Efficiencies and Cost Avoidance webpage that lists soft-term lease terminations, including an explanation for each location and whether any change affects the public or not. For nearly all locations, the space being terminated is only a small room within the larger Social Security office location.

Workforce Update: SSA identified opportunities to optimize its workforce by offering voluntary opportunities to depart the agency or move to a frontline customer service position. The Workforce Update | News | SSA webpage briefly explains each voluntary option and how many employees accepted that option.

Afternoon Roundup

     There are so many news articles coming out about Social Security that it's hard to keep up. Let me share a few that seem notable to me:

• MSN --  Trump’s nominee to lead Social Security Administration to face questions over DOGE cuts
• Paul Krugman --  Social Security: A Time for Outrage
• Government Executive --  Regional boards for federal agency coordination officially disbanded 
• Michigan Live -- AARP calls latest Social Security changes ‘deeply unacceptable.’ Will you be impacted? 
• CNBC --  Senators press Trump Social Security nominee on his views about privatizing the agency
• WSJ -- Dealing With Social Security Is Heading From Bad to Worse

DOGE Can’t Find Fraud

      The Washington Post has a nice article about the fruitless DOGE efforts to find fraud at Social Security. It discusses a special recent effort to contact recipients over 100. It says there were only 1,294 of them. That number sounds far too low to me.

Astrue On NPR

      Former Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue appeared on NPR this morning to talk about the struggles that the agency faces at the moment. He said “They don’t understand” a lot. By the way, Astrue had to go to his local Security Security field office recently.

Hear, Hear. Seriously, Listen To This

      Take a listen to this 31 minute podcast interview with Laura Haltzel, a former Associate Conmissioner at Social Security who left the agency over the horrible changes brought about by the Trump Administration. Her testimony about the horrible pressures placed on agency employees is especially striking.

     Haltzel should be lauded for her bravery in speaking out. The Trump Administration has dealt with its critics in extraordinary brutal ways.

Judge To Lee Dudek: Quit Being An Ass

 

“Fraudsters”?

      Trump’s Commerce Secretary says that if Social Security payments don’t get paid that the ones who would complain the most are “fraudsters.”

Dudek Threatens To Shut Down Agency Over Court Ruling

       From Bloomberg:

The Trump administration is threatening to all but shut down the Social Security Administration in response to a judge’s ruling blocking activities by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — an action that could delay payments to millions of beneficiaries caught in the middle of the legal battle.

Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek said the temporary restraining order issued Thursday is so broad in blocking access to data by “DOGE affiliates” that it could apply to any Social Security employee.

“My anti-fraud team would be DOGE affiliates. My IT staff would be DOGE affiliates,” Dudek said. “As it stands, I will follow it exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems.” …

“In an 134-page decision, a radical leftist-judge ordered Social Security Administration employees not to implement the President’s government-efficiency agenda,” said White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields. “This is yet another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse.”  …

Treasury Offset Resumes

   Press Release

Thursday, March 20, 2025

For Immediate Release

Mark Hinkle, Press Officer

press.office@ssa.gov

Social Security Administration Resumes Treasury Offset Program Collections After COVID-19 Suspension

The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced the immediate resumption of debt collection activities through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) for debts accrued prior to March 2020. This decision comes after a suspension of collections due to the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Treasury Offset Program, administered by the Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service, is a centralized program designed to collect delinquent debts owed to federal and state agencies by intercepting Federal and state payments. Since 1992, SSA has referred delinquent Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) debts to TOP as mandated by law.

Prior to the suspension in March 2020, SSA had successfully collected almost $2 billion in previously unrecoverable delinquent debt through TOP. The program is essential for maintaining the integrity of the OASDI and SSI programs.

“Resuming collections through the Treasury Offset Program is a critical step in our commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer funds and ensuring the integrity of our programs,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We are dedicated to recovering overpayments while providing individuals with the necessary information and options to address their debts.”

The Department of Treasury has begun collecting debts SSA referred to Treasury before March 2020, impacting an estimated 280,000 individuals with a collective debt balance of $2.7 billion.

TRO Prevents DOGE Access To Confidential Social Security Records

      The United States District Court for the District of Maryland had granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in a lawsuit filed by a labor union concerning DOGE access to records on Social Security claimants. This access is now blocked.

Senate Republicans Want Musk To Shut Up And Get DOGE Out Of SSA

      From The Hill:

Senate Republicans want Elon Musk to stop talking about Social Security, and the Department of Government Efficiency to leave it alone. …

They warn that Social Security reform is known as the “third rail” of politics for a reason: Any party that touches it is likely to get zapped come Election Day.

And Republicans fear that reductions in staff and field offices will boomerang on them, predicting constituents will grow frustrated if it becomes more difficult and time-consuming to address problems related to benefit claims.

They warn that Social Security reform is known as the “third rail” of politics for a reason: Any party that touches it is likely to get zapped come Election Day. 

“It doesn’t help the president when you have somebody who clearly is not worried about whether or not Social Security benefits are going to be there for him” leading the effort to shrink the Social Security Administration, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), referring to Musk, the world’s richest person.  …

 

The Actual Scope Of The Problem And The Sophisticated Efforts To Deal With It

     A press release from Social Security's Office of Inspector General:

Receiving accurate reports of death is a major and ongoing concern for the Social Security Administration (SSA). A recent report by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) illustrates the need for SSA to continue to improve its death reporting processing systems.

According to the report entitled, “Rejection of State Death Reports,” from November 2018 through October 2022, states throughout the country submitted about 13.7 million death reports to SSA. SSA’s Death Information Processing System (DIPS) accepted about 12.2 million and rejected nearly 1.5 million (11 percent) state death reports. SSA OIG determined that SSA rejected over 1.4 million state death reports that did not pass DIPS verification checks. SSA uses DIPS to verify the death information it receives. DIPS rejects death reports that do not pass its verification checks to prevent posting erroneous death information to SSA records.

It is only after death information passes DIPS verifications that SSA records the information to the Numident (a database that stores information for all Social Security numberholders) and terminates payments to deceased beneficiaries. The verification checks prevented DIPS from posting incorrect or duplicate death information to SSA records for approximately 773,000 of the 1.4 million death reports submitted by states.

However, SSA OIG reported an estimated 702,000 of the 1.4 million state death reports that were rejected contained valid death data but did not pass DIPS verification checks. DIPS rejected most death reports when it detected a verification date submitted by the reporter was different than the latest verification date in SSA’s records. When this occurs, DIPS rejects the report without validating whether the reported death information is correct. This delays posting of the date of death to the Numident and payment records and results in continued payments to deceased beneficiaries until SSA receives and processes the death information.

This issue led to improper payments to beneficiaries of $327 million and could lead to an additional $108 million over the next year if SSA does not add death information to payment records for beneficiaries in current payment status. Moreover, SSA employees must manually process the rejected death records. It is estimated it will require SSA employees to spend 199,000 hours to process this workload, costing $12 million in administrative expenses. OIG made three recommendations to improve the accuracy of the death information in its records to which SSA agreed. See the full report here.

    These things are vastly more complicated than DOGE can imagine.