IFPTE Applauds Leadership Change at SSA

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON –  On Friday, President Biden fired Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul and Deputy Commissioner David Black. The Biden Administration’s decision to change comes after calls for their removal by IFPTE and the Association of Administrative Law Judges-Judicial Council 1. Those calls for new leadership at the Social Security Administration (SSA) were echoed by House Ways Committee’s Social Security Subcommittee Chair John Larson, Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny K. Davis, Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bill Pascrell, Jr., and Senate Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy Subcommittee Chair Sherrod Brown.  

Kilolo Kijakazi, recently appointed as Deputy Commissioner for the Retirement and Disability Policy, will serve as Acting Commissioner of SSA.

IFPTE President Paul Shearon remarked:

"IFPTE is pleased to learn that a much needed change at SSA has come to fruition.  As IFPTE and the Association of Administrative Law Judges have maintained for over a year that former Commissioner Saul has failed to live up to his sworn testimony before Congress when he promised to foster collaborative and productive labor management relations at SSA.  Instead, he and continued to encourage an environment at SSA which led to his agency earning the distinction as the number one union busters in the federal government.  IFPTE applauds the Biden administration for today's actions and we look forward to working with the new leadership at SSA."

IFPTE Secreatry-Treasurer/Legislative Director Matt Biggs repsonded: 

""The SSA leadership has not only failed the American public time and time again, they have also failed their dedicated workforce.  Instead of working with their unions to improve service to the public, they made the conscious decision to treat their employees and their unions as adversaries at every step, including to the point of crushing their unions.  IFPTE thanks the Biden Administration for removing Commissioner Saul and Deputy Commissioner Black and we appreciate the calls for their removal from Ways and Means Chairman Neal,  Subcommittee Chairs Davis, Larson, and Pascrell, and Senate Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sherrod Brown."

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Download this press release.

7/9/2021 - House Ways and Means Chairman Neal Statement on the Removal of SSA Commissioner

7/09/2021 - Sen. Brown, Chair of Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Applauds President Biden’s Decision to Fire & Replace Social Security Commissioner

3/5/2021 - Read House Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairs Davis and Larson’s statement calling for the removal for Black and Saul.

2/19/2021 - Read Senate Social Security Subcommittee Chair Brown’s call for new leadership at SSA.