White House seeking to abolish autonomous Social Security administrative body, insiders disclose
The Trump administration's alleged plan to slash funding for the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) – a bipartisan bunch offering advice on Social Security policies – is shaping up as an move to trim government excess and reduce costs, in line with a broader agenda to lessen federal scrutiny. Eliminating the SSAB could potentially dilute accountability, encouraging more partisan politics.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the White House's Office of Management and Budget intends to slash the board's budget from around $3 million to zero. The SSAB, founded in the '90s by Congress, offers objective evaluations on Social Security improvements that pay out $1.4 trillion annually to 73 million Americans. Despite lacking decision-making power, the board's research has influenced the Social Security Administration and facilitated important legislative actions.
Without the SSAB's budget allocated, the board's activities could grind to a halt, but officially dismantling it would need legislation from Congress. If the SSAB is disbanded, government health care providers such as home care services may face disruptions, as decisions regarding Social Security could become less transparent and efficient, ultimately leading to delayed benefit processing.
This move may lead to resentment among labor groups like AFSCME and retirees, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticizing the move, claiming it weakens Social Security protections. In an attempt to curb bureaucracy, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has targeted the Social Security Administration, provoking complaints about longer wait times for phone services and understaffed field offices.
The SSAB has played a key role in shaping the Social Security Fairness Act, which aims to restore benefits for public-sector retirees, despite enjoying bipartisan backing. The evacuation of the SSAB might leave a policy void that relies on private-sector consultations, while government IT contractors and fraud-detection firms may find fresh opportunities with the anticipated modernization of the SSA influenced by the elimination of SSAB.
- The White House's Office of Management and Budget is planning to reduce the Social Security Advisory Board's (SSAB) budget from $3 million to zero, according to sources close to the matter.
- The SSAB, established by Congress in the '90s, provides objective evaluations on Social Security improvements, affecting $1.4 trillion in annual payments to 73 million Americans.
- Eliminating the SSAB could potentially lead to disruptions for government health care providers like home care services, as decisions regarding Social Security could become less transparent and efficient, resulting in delayed benefit processing.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren and labor groups such as AFSCME have criticized the potential defunding of the SSAB, claiming it weakens Social Security protections, while the SSAB's absence might leave a policy void that relies on private-sector consultations.
