Flat Appropriation Proposed

   If I am reading the budget documents correctly, the White House is calling for an appropriation for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins October 1st of this year, that is the same as for the current fiscal year. That is, in effect, a cut in funding when inflation is considered and inflation may be quite significant because of the Trump tariffs.

A Poll

 

online polls

Bisignano Nomination Advances

    The Senate has invoked cloture to advance the nomination of Frank Bisignano to become Commissioner of Social Security. It was a party line vote with some absences. I don't know how much longer it will take to finally approve the nomination.

    A party line vote on this is a bad sign for Social Security and for the country.

Bisignano Nomination Moving Forward

      From a summary of expected action on the floor of the U.S. Senate prepared by Senate Democrats:

During Tuesday’s session cloture was filed on Executive Calendar #60, Frank Bisignano, of New Jersey, to be Commissioner of Social Security Administration for the term expiring January 19, 2031.  Cloture is expected to ripen during Thursday’s session.

    This has to be a sign that the nomination is moving forward but don’t ask me to predict when to expect final action.

Next Stop SCOTUS?

      The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that DOGE may not have access to Social Security databases.

First 100 Days

      The Trump Administration has identified its top accomplishments at Social Security in its first 100 days.

Trump Administration's Childish Passion For Undoing Anything Joe Biden Did Extends To Sabotaging Its Own AI Efforts

     From Time:

...  The Biden Administration moved aggressively in its final 18 months to convince more than 200 AI technology experts to forgo the private sector for the federal workforce, through what was called the ”National AI Talent Surge.” The new hires were deployed throughout the government and used AI to find ways to reduce Social Security wait times, simplify tax filings, and help veterans track their medical care. Most of them were quickly pushed out by the new administration, multiple former federal officials tell TIME.

The shift, say the former officials, represents an enormous waste of federal resources, as agencies across the Trump Administration are looking to draw workers with the very experience they just let go. It also means agencies may have to increasingly rely on costlier outside companies for that expertise. ...

In early 2024, Biden officials hired Angelica Quirarte, who had spent years pitching tech experts on becoming public servants. Quirarte says that coders and engineers are natural problem-solvers and are attracted to the challenge of working with huge data sets that can improve services for millions of people. ...

In less than a year, Quirarte tells TIME, she helped hire about 250 AI experts. After Trump’s actions, she estimates about 10% of that cohort are still with the federal government.

“It’s going to be really hard” for the Trump administration to hire more tech workers after such haphazard layoffs, Quirarte says. “It’s so chaotic.” ...

    These are not serious people. 

A Preview Of What AI Could Do For Social Security

     From Rest of World:

When Josélia de Brito, a former sugarcane worker from a remote town in northeast Brazil, filed for her retirement benefits through the mandated government app, she expected her claim would be processed quickly. Instead, her request was instantly turned down because the system identified her as a man. ...

It was especially frustrating for de Brito, who had been requesting sick pay for years via the National Social Security Institute’s artificial intelligence-powered app, Meu INSS. ... [E]ven minor errors in her claims filed through the app had led to numerous rejections, with few options for recourse. ...

Brazil’s social security institute, known as INSS, added AI to its app in 2018 in an effort to cut red tape and speed up claims. The office, known for its long lines and wait times, had around 2 million pending requests for everything from doctor’s appointments to sick pay to pensions to retirement benefits at the time. While the AI-powered tool has since helped process thousands of basic claims, it has also rejected requests from hundreds of people like de Brito — who live in remote areas and have little digital literacy — for minor errors. ...