Potential Vehicle For More Social Security Funding?

Maybe this explains Pelosi's apparent capitulation. Remember, that it is merely my speculation that it is possible that additional funding for the Social Security Administration could find its way into this emergency bill. From Fox News:

The top Republican in the House made a modest but important break with President Bush over the budget Wednesday, endorsing more than $6 billion in new spending.

The surprise development removed one hurdle from among the many standing in the way of Congress completing its budget work.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has been perhaps Bush's most loyal ally in his months-long battle with congressional Democrats on the budget. His remarks came as a surprise to the White House, but reflected a realistic assessment of the budget battlefield on Capitol Hill.

Boehner endorsed adding funding above Bush's budget for border security, foreign aid and State Department operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and other purposes. These "emergency" funds are supposed to reflect one-time needs and not be permanent fixtures in the budget.

Boehner remains committed to supporting Bush vetoes of any catchall spending bill that tops his budget request.

"It all passes the straight-face test," Boehner said in supporting the emergency budget items. Later, a Boehner spokesman said the top House Republican doesn't necessarily support the entire bundle of emergency spending.

SSA Appropriation Likely To Be Same As Bush's Proposed Budget

From The Hill:

In the face of stiff opposition from powerful fellow Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) has abandoned a proposal she supported less than 24 hours ago to eliminate lawmakers’ earmarks from the omnibus spending package.

Pelosi told the Democratic chairmen of the House Appropriations subcommittees, the so-called appropriations cardinals, that earmarks would stay in the omnibus and that Democratic leaders would accede to cut spending to levels demanded by President Bush in order to save 11 spending bills from a veto, said sources familiar with a meeting that took place in Pelosi’s office early Wednesday morning.

The House Democrats’ tentative plan is to finalize the package for passage in the next day or so, said sources.

By leaving earmarks largely untouched and agreeing to Bush’s budget ceiling, Democrats have capitulated in their spending battle with Republicans. In the end, Democrats realized they would not be able to muster enough Republican votes to override Bush’s veto. The president vowed to reject any spending package that exceeded the $933 billion limit he set.

Advanced Rulemaking Notice

From today's Federal Register:

On October 19, 2007, we published final rules in the Federal Register (72 FR 59397) revising the criteria in sections 5.00 and 105.00 of the Listing of Impairments in appendix 1 to subpart P of part 404 of our regulations (the listings), the sections that we use to evaluate claims involving digestive disorders. In those rules, we indicated that we would issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) inviting public comments on whether we should add a functional listing for digestive disorders, and if so, what functional criteria would be appropriate (72 FR at 59416). We are now requesting your comments and suggestions.

After we have considered your comments and suggestions, other information about the functional effects of digestive disorders, and our adjudicative experience, we will determine whether it is appropriate to add a functional listing for digestive disorders. If we decide to add such a listing, we will publish for public comment a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will propose specific revisions to the rules.

Just what do they mean by "functional limitations?"

Union Newsletter

Council 220 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents many Social Security Administration employees has published its November 2007 newsletter. The newsletter contains some interesting information about bonuses to upper level Social Security employees:

Linda McMahon
Deputy Commissioner for Operations
2005: $22,000
2006: $24,000
2007: $25,000

Milt Beever
Associate Commissioner, Office of Labor Management and Employee Relations
2005: $1,500
2006: None
2007: $8,000

Regional Commissioners
Manuel Vaz (Boston) 2005 $8,000 2006 $10,000 2007 $20,000
Beatrice Disman (NY) 2005 $22,000 2006 $54,527 * 2007 $25,000
Laurie Watkins (Phila.) 2005 $20,000 2006 $20,000 2007$ 20,000
Paul Barnes (Atlanta) 2005 $2,000 2006$ 54,527 * 2007 $22,000
James Martin (Chicago) 2005 $9,000 2006 $12,000 2007 $12,000
Ramona J. Schuenemeyer (Dallas) 2005 $15,000 2006 $24,000 2007 $20,000
Michael Grochowski (Kansas City) 2005 $29,120** 2006 $24,000 2007 $10,000
Nancy Berryhill (Denver) 2005 — 2006 $12,000 2007 $14,000
Pete Spencer (San Francisco) 2005 $20,000 2006 $22,000 2007 $56,708*
Carl Rabun (Seattle) 2005 $7,246 2006 $10,000 2007 $10,000

* Distinguished Rank Award: winners receive a lump-sum payment equaling 35% of their base pay.

** Meritorious Rank Award: recipients get 20% of their base pay.

What did Pete Spencer do this year to get that $56,708 bonus?

Florida Newspaper Reports On Disability Backlogs

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal:

The air conditioner was off, and a cool breeze shot through the front door of Sean Sweeney's mobile home.

The mild weather meant he and his 59-year-old mother might see a slightly lower electric bill this month. She has lung and heart disease and is hooked up to a portable oxygen machine that stays at her side, generating life-sustaining air and a costly energy bill.

But every dollar saved helps.

Sweeney, 35, has no job or income. An early onset, osteoporosis-like bone disease already has resulted in his undergoing two hip-replacement surgeries.

For 2 1/2 years, he has fought to reverse two earlier decisions by the state so he can receive Social Security disability benefits. While his appeal is pending, he can't work -- even if he could endure the pain. Sweeney said he sold the family's house at Wilbur-by-the-Sea in 2005 to cover the cost of his surgery and bought the modest mobile home. Now, it's up for sale to help pay back mortgage, medical and utility bills.

Hello Tacloban!

This blog is getting regular visits from Tacloban, the capital city of Leyte in the Philippines. I would be happy to hear from our friend in Tacloban. (If you are wondering, the picture is of an impressive bridge in the Tacloban area. The picture may not do the bridge justice.)

Status Of Appropriations -- It's A Trainwreck

From The Hill:

Senate Republicans refused to meet Democrats Tuesday on spending ...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) countered the majority’s plans with a proposal that would require Democrats to accept virtually all of President Bush’s demands on spending.

McConnell demanded that Democrats also provide $70 billion for the war with no strings attached. ...

The majority leader disdained McConnell’s proposal, noting that an earlier Republican effort to increase war funding without restrictions failed to pass. [Senate Majority Leader] Reid was not ready to accept an across-the-board funding cut to pare the omnibus to Bush’s ceiling. ...

Democratic House leaders, including Pelosi, Hoyer and Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), met Tuesday to discuss strategy. Pelosi also met Reid to discuss spending and taxes.

But they do not appear to have decided how to break the impasse. ...

Obey has proposed reducing the cost of the omnibus to Bush’s proposal and cutting all lawmakers’ earmarks to spare a variety of programs from cuts. He hopes rank-and-file Republicans will press their leaders to accept higher domestic spending to save projects slated for their districts, said a Democratic aide.

Reid was not embracing that idea when asked about it Tuesday.

Incident At Wilson, NC Field Office

An e-mail that was just forwarded to me:

The Wilson, NC office was closed at approximately 10:15 AM on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. A claimant brought an appeals package into the office for his recently denied disability claim. When the Service Representative opened the package at the front desk, a white powder was spilled into the air and surrounding area. The claimant was somewhat vague in explaining the origin of the white powder. The police were called and they have shut down the office until they can determine the chemical make-up of the powder. They are currently interviewing the claimant.

Ernestine Durham
Area Director
North Carolina