Administration seeks to eliminate financially independent Social Security administrative body, according to sources
Defunding the Watchdog on Social Security
The White House is trying to slash the funding for a bipartisan panel that gives advice on Social Security policy, insiders say. This move is part of the Trump administration's plan to cut costs and mute independent voices in the government.
The White House's Office of Management and Budget has reportedly notified the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) that it intends to zero out the board's annual budget, which currently hovers around $3 million. This development has not been made public before.
Congress created the SSAB in the 90s as an independent federal agency to provide objective analysis on how to improve Social Security. Annually, the popular program sends out $1.4 trillion in benefits to 73 million Americans.
Although it doesn't have the power to make decisions, the SSAB's research has significantly influenced Social Security's operations and legislation. It even played a crucial role in the failed 2005 attempt by then-President George W. Bush to privatize the agency.
In 2018, its research formed the basis for a law that eased compliance for certain groups receiving benefits while tightening checks for others.
Technically a separate agency, the SSAB's funding comes from the Social Security Administration's budget each year. This month, the Office of Management and Budget proposed a budget for the next fiscal year, making the SSAB's funding nil, according to the sources.
Rachel Cauley, an OMB spokesperson, declined to comment on the board's budget status.
If eliminated, the SSAB would join the ranks of various government bodies that President Trump and his allies see as obstacles to their conservative agenda, including the 17 inspectors general fired in January.
Bob Joondeph, the board's chair, hasn't received formal notice about the funding decision yet. Joondeph, one of two Democrats on the four-person board, views the potential elimination as a symbol of the growing political polarization in Washington.
The defunding of the SSAB furthers concerns about the elimination of bipartisanship and unbiased oversight in government operations. Critics argue that such a move could create policy uncertainty, operational strain, and even market volatility.
While the SSAB's impact has been limited by the need for bipartisan consensus, its eventual disappearance leaves a void that may be difficult to fill without independent analysis from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, some question if its removal is part of a broader pattern of sidelining dissenting voices and weakening checks on executive power.
Innovators like Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have targeted the Social Security Administration for significant cuts, raising concerns about service quality and long wait times for phone service and field offices due to understaffing. According to reports, the agency intends to cut 7,000 jobs, or around 12% of its workforce.
Hyper-partisanship and policy shifts threaten the sustainability of Social Security, underscoring the importance of congressional action to preserve independent oversight and ensure the program's long-term health.
- The White House's planned defunding of the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) raises concerns about the elimination of bipartisanship and unbiased oversight in government operations.
- Critics argue that the defunding of the SSAB could create policy uncertainty, operational strain, and even market volatility.
- The SSAB's eventual disappearance leaves a void that may be difficult to fill without independent analysis from multiple perspectives, as its research has significantly influenced Social Security's operations and legislation.
- With the potential elimination of the SSAB, some question if its removal is part of a broader pattern of sidelining dissenting voices and weakening checks on executive power, particularly in the context of the trillion-dollar Social Security program.
