House and Senate Committee Leaders Call for SSA to Abandon Proposed Rule Changing the Agency’s Appeals Process

WASHINGTON, DC – Top Democrats from the House Ways and Means Committee, House Committee on Oversight and Reform, House Judiciary Committee, and Senate Finance Committee yesterday called for the Trump Administration to withdraw a Social Security Administration (SSA) proposal that would make it more difficult for eligible Americans to receive their Social Security benefits. The proposed changes to the SSA appeals hearing process would compromise claimants' and beneficiaries' due process and potentially limit their access to their earned benefits, put unqualified judges in control of deciding appeals cases, and contradict the congressional intent of the law governing such proceedings.

"SSA's proposed rule would erode due process for Americans who are appealing a denial of Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), threatening access by eligible individuals to disability, retirement, and survivors' benefits," the members wrote in their comment letter. "Replacing independent Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) with Administrative Appeals Judges (AAJs) is contrary to congressional intent for impartial SSA hearings, and it is not supported by the rationale asserted in the proposed rule."

The letter was signed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman John B. Larson (D-CT), House Ways and Means Worker & Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny K. Davis (D-IL), House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Senate Finance Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

The full letter can be found HERE.