Biden fires head of Social Security Administration
Saturday, 10 July 2021 1:41 AM
[ Last Update: Saturday, 10 July 2021 1:41 AM ]
Andrew Saul listens during his confirmation hearing to be commissioner of the Social Security Administration, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (Photo by AP)
US President Joe Biden has fired Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul, a Trump administration appointee, after he refused a Biden request to resign from his position.
A White House official confirmed on Friday evening that Saul’s employment at the Social Security Administration (SSA) was terminated, adding that he had "undermined and politicized" Social Security disability benefits.
“Since taking office, Commissioner Saul has undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agency’s telework policy that was utilized by up to 25 percent of the agency’s workforce, not repaired SSA’s relationships with relevant Federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the President’s policy agenda,” the White House official said.