ADVISORY

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Subcommittees and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

On September 29, 1997, Kenneth S. Apfel was sworn in as the new Commissioner of Social Security. Mr. Apfel is the first Commissioner confirmed by the Senate since SSA became an independent agency on March 31, 1995.

SSA's programs account for 30.5 percent ($484 billion) of all Federal receipts, 25.2 percent ($404 billion) of all Federal expenditures, and 5.6 percent of the nation's $7.2 trillion Gross Domestic Product during fiscal year 1997. SSA's fiscal year 1999 budget proposal anticipates paying benefits to almost 49 million people every month, processing over 5 million claims for benefits, issuing almost 17 million new and replacement Social Security numbers, posting 255 million earnings items to workers' earnings records, and receiving almost 70 million telephone calls during the coming year. These services are provided through a network of offices which include a headquarters and 10 Regional Offices which oversee 6 Program Service Centers, 1,352 Field Offices, a Data Operations Center, 36 Teleservice Centers, 132 Hearing Offices, and the services of 54 federally-funded State Disability Determination Services.

Many serious challenges face the Agency and its programs, as has been pointed out by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) and SSA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG). These challenges include Social Security's long-term solvency, Year 2000 system readiness and effective use of information technology, longstanding customer service problems resulting from ineffective workload management and inefficient processes in the Social Security and Supplemental Income Security (SSI) disability programs, insufficient systems security and controls, and risk of fraud--particularly regarding the SSI program.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Bunning stated: "I continue to have grave concerns about SSA's Year 2000 readiness, about the quality of service being provided to those applying for and receiving disability benefits, and about how effectively SSA is using information technology to prepare for the onslaught of aging baby boomer disability and retirement claims. I also want to see how well SSA is using its expanded authority to function as an independent agency, now that it is about to complete its third year of operation under the law.

"In compliance with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, last fall, SSA submitted their latest strategic plan. In that plan, SSA describes its mission as: 'To promote the economic security of the nation's people through compassionate and vigilant leadership in shaping and managing America's Social Security programs.' This hearing will give our Subcommittees the opportunity to hear how this Commissioner plans to ensure that SSA lives up to this lofty mission."

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Shaw stated: "The Human Resources Subcommittee has a keen interest in how SSA is administering the SSI program, especially the changes in the children's program resulting from the 1996 welfare reform law. It is important to follow closely how SSA is implementing legislative reforms designed to limit waste and abuse and to see whether they are having their intended effect. This hearing is a barometer of SSA's performance in implementing change."

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The Subcommittees will focus on the views of the Commissioner of SSA, and the findings of recent GAO and OIG reviews about the primary challenges facing the SSA and its programs.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit at least six (6) single-space legal-size copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in ASCII DOS Text or WordPerfect 5.1 format only, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Thursday, March 26, 1998, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Social Security office, room B-316 Rayburn House Office Building, at least one hour before the hearing begins.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be typed in single space on legal-size paper and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. At the same time written statements are submitted to the Committee, witnesses are now requested to submit their statements on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in ASCII DOS Text or WordPerfect 5.1 format. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.

4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, full address, a telephone number where the witness or the designated representative may be reached and a topical outline or summary of the comments and recommendations in the full statement. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.

The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.