This All Makes Sense If You Regard Governing As Simple

      From the Washington Post:

They were civil rights lawyers, Social Security employees and labor experts. And now they’re all in completely different jobs.
To fill vacancies left behind by waves of firing and resignations in the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal government, agencies are reassigning people to posts they know little about. That includes people who were forced out of jobs that are required by law or are essential to basic government functions, according to interviews with 20 federal employees across seven departments, most of whom spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. …

The result, employees said, is that work is being done less efficiently by people with little relevant experience or background, even if they have spent years in government in other positions. One former IT worker at the Social Security Administration — newly reassigned to disability benefits processing — described the changes as “leaving a Bugatti in the garage” and “a strategic decapitation of institutional knowledge.” …

What The Wistleblower Reported

    From a post on X:

               

    The Data Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank, is calling for an independent investigation into the matter 

Hearing On Removing Barriers To Employment

      From a press release:

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08), Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Ron Estes (KS-04), and Work & Welfare Subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood (IL-16) announced today that the Subcommittees on Social Security and Work & Welfare will hold a joint hearing to discuss barriers to work and how policymakers can support opportunities for individuals with disabilities to establish, renew, or strengthen their connection to the workforce. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM in 1100 Longworth House Office Building.

     Republican ideas for removing “barriers” have sometimes included time limited disability benefits. I think they regard the lack of compulsion to return to work as a “barrier.”I do not expect anything coming out of this hearing that would genuinely help anyone drawing benefits.

     By the way, when are they going to reschedule that hearing with the Commissioner? Ever?

A Shakeup

      From a press release:

Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano announced today his executive leadership team and organizational changes designed to strengthen accountability, improve performance, and modernize service delivery. …

Social Security Administration Executive Leadership Team:

Chief of Staff & Chief Risk Officer

Chad Poist

Chief Actuary

Karen Glenn

Chief Communications Officer

Nicholas Perrine

Chief of Disability Adjudication

Jay Ortis (Acting)

Chief of Field Operations

Andy Sriubas

Chief of Processing Centers

Mark Quinlan

Chief of Digital Services

Stephen Evangelista

Chief Human Capital Officer

Florence Felix-Lawson

Chief Information Officer (Core Business Functions)

Michael L. Russo

Chief Information Officer (Technology and Customer Products)

Aram Moghaddassi

Chief of Law, Policy, & Legislative Affairs

Mark Steffensen

Chief Financial Officer

Thomas Holland

Chief of Security and Resiliency

Jessica Taylor

To enhance SSA’s focus on operational excellence and foster a structure that brings leadership closer to the frontlines, the functions previously under Operations will be realigned into three distinct areas: Field Operations, Processing Center, and Digital Service.

SSA is also consolidating all Security functions into a single, integrated organization, which will be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight of information security, physical and protective security, as well as personnel security and suitability programs. …

Call Wait Time Audit To Be Completed By End Of Year

      From Axios:

The Social Security Administration — under pressure from Senate Democrats —is on track to finish an internal audit of the agency's call wait times by year's end, Axios has learned. …

     Remember that Social Security’s Office of Inspector General is no longer independent. This could easily be a whitewash.

Approval Sought For Cardiovascular Listings Changes

      The Social Security Administration has asked for White House approval of proposed changes to its cardiovascular listings.  There’s no way of knowing what’s in the proposal.

Got A Story To Tell?

    The Federal Employees & Contractors Oral History Project (FECOHP) is “preserving the voices of those who’ve served the American people – before, during, and after January 2025.” Get in touch with them if you have a story that should be preserved.

Labor Day 2025