The head of the Social Security Administration, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, was forcibly removed by President Joe Biden on Friday after failing to resign at the White House's request.
White House officials said the forced resignation was due to Andrew Saul, the Social Security commissioner, having a long history of undermining and politicizing the agency's benefits. Another Trump-appointee in the agency, David Black, who is Saul's deputy, chose to resign on Friday.
Forcing the Resignation
In a statement, the White House said Saul has undermined and politicized the agency's disability benefits, terminated its telework policy, and allowed the SSA's relationship with relevant Federal employee unions to deteriorate and various other issues since taking office. However, Saul said after the statement that he plans to return to work on Monday amid criticism.
Saul said that the email he received from the White House asking him to resign was the first time he or Black found out about the issue. He added that the news came as such a shock that it has caused chaos within the agency itself.
The 74-year-old commissioner has been a longtime Republican donor and served as former Vice Chairman of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He is a wealthy entrepreneur who is also known for revitalizing Cache, a women's apparel company, CNBC reported.
To replace Saul, Democratic Biden has appointed Kilolo Kijakazi, the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, as acting commissioner. The official previously served as an Urban Institute Fellow.
She was also a former program officer for the Ford Foundation and a senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Kijakazi's background includes a doctorate in public policy and previously leading research related to social security, racial equity, economic security, and retirement security.
Widespread Criticism
Immediately after the announcement was made to replace Saul, many Republican lawmakers criticized Biden for his alleged efforts of injecting politics in a typically apolitical agency. In a Twitter post on Friday, Senator Chuck Grassley said the decision was "outrageous," arguing Saul was appointed a six-year, bipartisan term in 2019. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also criticized the decision of the Biden administration to remove Saul, NBC News reported.
Saul initially fired back saying the Biden administration did not have the legal authority to fire him and that he would not resign for he is the head of an independent agency. On the other hand, the Democrat's government said the decision was based on legality from a June Supreme Court ruling that allowed the firing of the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Housing Finance Corporation.
The commissioner's term would have lasted until 2025 if the Biden administration had not forced him out of office, Forbes reported. McConnell said that the move would be an "unprecedented and dangerous politicization" of the agency.
However, the criticisms from many Republican lawmakers come after former President Trump had many such firings and resignations during his presidency, including times where officials were ousted for refusing to follow his commands.
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