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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump-appointed Social Security Administration officials test Biden's ability to forge new agenda
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-appointed-social-security-administration-officials-test-bidens-ability-to-forge-new-agenda-090005885.htmlPresident Biden is facing increasing pressure to remove two Social Security Administration officials appointed by his Republican predecessor, a standoff that could test the limits of his ability to undo Donald Trumps legacy.
The brewing controversy surrounds Andrew Saul and David Black, the agency's commissioner and deputy commissioner, whom Trump appointed to fixed-term positions that dont end until 2025. As term appointees, they can't be removed by Biden except for cause, but unions and Capitol Hill alike are demanding that Biden find a way to remove them, accusing them of creating a toxic work environment, contributing to low morale due to staff cuts, and sidelining the agencys administrative law judges.
The continued presence of the Trump appointees underscores the difficulties the Biden administration faces when trying to roll back some of the previous administrations efforts to reshape the federal government. While traditional political appointees must resign or face being fired when a new administration comes in, presidents are also able to install fixed-term employees to boards and other government positions that can outlast their administration.
Saul, a New York businessman and Republican donor, and Black, a former Bush administration staffer, have been in their positions since 2019. According to critics, the two officials have engaged in no-holds-barred union busting and eliminated the agencys pre-pandemic telework program, forcing over 10,000 employees to commute to work a rule change that continues despite the onset of COVID-19. (That did not apply to Saul, who reportedly continued to work from home as thousands of his employees commuted during the onset of the pandemic.)
In December 2020, two major unions representing thousands of Social Security Administration employees called for Biden to take decisive action to remove the pair after he took office, believing that Saul and Black actively worked to undermine the agencys mission through intentionally hamstringing internal operations and allegedly violating major ethics rules.
The brewing controversy surrounds Andrew Saul and David Black, the agency's commissioner and deputy commissioner, whom Trump appointed to fixed-term positions that dont end until 2025. As term appointees, they can't be removed by Biden except for cause, but unions and Capitol Hill alike are demanding that Biden find a way to remove them, accusing them of creating a toxic work environment, contributing to low morale due to staff cuts, and sidelining the agencys administrative law judges.
The continued presence of the Trump appointees underscores the difficulties the Biden administration faces when trying to roll back some of the previous administrations efforts to reshape the federal government. While traditional political appointees must resign or face being fired when a new administration comes in, presidents are also able to install fixed-term employees to boards and other government positions that can outlast their administration.
Saul, a New York businessman and Republican donor, and Black, a former Bush administration staffer, have been in their positions since 2019. According to critics, the two officials have engaged in no-holds-barred union busting and eliminated the agencys pre-pandemic telework program, forcing over 10,000 employees to commute to work a rule change that continues despite the onset of COVID-19. (That did not apply to Saul, who reportedly continued to work from home as thousands of his employees commuted during the onset of the pandemic.)
In December 2020, two major unions representing thousands of Social Security Administration employees called for Biden to take decisive action to remove the pair after he took office, believing that Saul and Black actively worked to undermine the agencys mission through intentionally hamstringing internal operations and allegedly violating major ethics rules.
Much, much more at link above.
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Trump-appointed Social Security Administration officials test Biden's ability to forge new agenda (Original Post)
intrepidity
Mar 2021
OP
Karadeniz
(22,587 posts)1. It would seem that there's plenty of cause for removal.
msfiddlestix
(7,286 posts)2. K/R and Bookmarked
DVRacer
(707 posts)3. How about
Cause: not facilitating banking contact information to the IRS in a timely manner for 30 million people eligible for the third stimulus. As the information was requested by the IRS on February 25th 2021 and not received until March 25th 2021 only after Congressional inquiries were made.
Boom Youre Fired