Washington, D.C. – With the Biden Administration blitzing the federal government with lame duck appointments and rulemakings that inject politics into a presidential transition, Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) is urging Social Security Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to postpone making an appointment of the Social Security Chief Actuary following the current one’s retirement.

The Chief Actuary plans and directs a program of actuarial estimates and analyses related to Social Security’s retirement, survivors, and disability insurance programs and to proposed changes in those programs. The impartiality of this role is crucial to helping Congress and the American people understand the current state of the programs as well as any proposed changes to them.

As Smith writes: 

“Even the appearance of politics can erode the public’s trust in the Social Security Administration and its programs, and attempts to use the Office of the Chief Actuary for partisan purposes highlight the dangers of perceived bias. Acting during a transitional period amplifies these concerns. Ideally, this decision should be made by the next Senate-confirmed Commissioner, who is uniquely positioned to make this decision in an accountable manner due to the rigorous vetting and confirmation process, which engenders increased public confidence. Deferring this decision would signal a commitment to impartiality and transparency, which the American people expect and deserve.”

For the full PDF of the letter click here.

In early December, departing Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley announced a unilateral decision to reward political allies at the expense of the public on the Biden Administration’s way out the door, with a midnight agreement to lock in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) failed telework policies until at least 2029.

In May, in the midst of a public service crisis, the Biden Administration announced the unilateral decision to provide all SSA employees with administrative leave and shutter all SSA offices on the afternoons of Friday, May 10, and Friday, May 24. Congress was given less than 48 hours’ notice. The more than 7,500 Americans who had appointments at SSA field offices scheduled for those afternoons – some of whom had already waited months – were forced to wait longer, telephones went unanswered, and claims were not processed. 

The text of the letter appears below:

“Dear Acting Commissioner Colvin,

“Out of concern for the ongoing need to have a Social Security Chief Actuary whose impartiality is unimpeachable, I write to strongly urge you to postpone making any appointment of a Chief Actuary upon the announced January 3, 2025, retirement of the incumbent Chief Actuary on anything other than an acting basis.

“The Chief Actuary plays a vital role in assessing the operations of Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance programs, as well as helping Congress and the American people understand the implications of proposed changes. It is imperative that this position be performed in an impartial, nonpartisan manner to avoid the injection of political preferences into what policy makers rely upon as objective analyses. 

“I am strongly concerned that unnecessarily pushing through a permanent appointment to this position would not only associate this decision with other, overtly political midnight decisions that have been made by the Biden Administration on its way out of the door, but would also unfairly prejudice any appointment made under such circumstances, even if the prospective appointee is otherwise highly qualified and has an unblemished record of impartiality. 

“Even the appearance of politics can erode the public’s trust in the Social Security Administration and its programs, and attempts to use the Office of the Chief Actuary for partisan purposes highlight the dangers of perceived bias. Acting during a transitional period amplifies these concerns. Ideally, this decision should be made by the next Senate-confirmed Commissioner, who is uniquely positioned to make this decision in an accountable manner due to the rigorous vetting and confirmation process, which engenders increased public confidence. Deferring this decision would signal a commitment to impartiality and transparency, which the American people expect and deserve. 

“The Social Security programs have long enjoyed broad bipartisan support, serving as a lifeline for retirees, individuals with disabilities, and their families. Any action perceived as partisan or rushed must be avoided. I urge you to refrain from appointing a permanent Chief Actuary and to leave this decision to the next Senate-confirmed Commissioner.”