Feb 4, 2017

No Bait And Switch Allowed

     The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals isn't buying Social Security's "bait-and-switch." By the way, this is the first judicial decision I've seen with Nancy Berryhill as the named defendant.

Feb 3, 2017

Why Deny A Man His Right To Self-Defense Just Because He Hears Voices Telling Him To Kill People?

     The House of Representatives approved  on Thursday a resolution that would undo regulations adopted during the Obama Administration that would prevent many Social Security recipients from buying firearms if they need the help of a representative payee handling money. I am uncertain whether Democrats can or will filibuster this in the Senate.

Feb 2, 2017

Report On Social Insurance For The New Administration

     The National Academy of Social Insurance has issued a Report to the New Leadership and the American People on Social Insurance and Inequality. It might be helpful if some of those in the new administration would read this but I'm not expecting that.

Feb 1, 2017

Hearing On Rep Payees

     The Social Security and Oversight Subcommittees of the House Ways and Means Committee have scheduled a joint hearing for February 7 on representative payees for Social Security benefit.

Jan 31, 2017

Updated Organizational Chart

     Social Security has posted an updated organizational chart. There's lots of people in acting positions.

Jan 30, 2017

CIO Staying On For Now

     From FCW(Federal Computer Weekly?):
Rob Klopp, CIO [Chief Information Officer] of the Social Security Administration, told FCW that the Trump administration asked him to continue in his role to provide continuity as the new White House settles in. Klopp said he would stay at SSA "for at least the next few months," but did not have a definite end date in mind.
Shortly after Election Day during an IT Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee hearing, Klopp demurred when subcommittee chairman Will Hurd (R-Texas) asked if he would hypothetically stay on board during the Trump administration.
The SSA CIO is in the middle of a wide-ranging IT infrastructure modernization project. In a recent post on CIO.gov, Klopp announced the deployment of the first piece of this effort, a disability case processing system dubbed DCPS2.
Klopp said that the Trump administration's agency beachhead teams have shown a keen interest in learning about what SSA is working on in terms of IT modernization.
"The teams we've met with have really capable guys who are really interested in what we're doing and how they can help and keep it going," he said. ...

Jan 29, 2017

Deep Thought

     Are Social Security disability claimants receiving "extreme vetting" already?