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Publication

The Politicization of the Social Security Administration

House Committee on Government Reform
; 
Special Investigations Division
Abstract
The Special Investigations Division of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform investigated whether the Social Security Administration altered its communications to support President Bush's Social Security proposals. Despite Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart's assertion of no changes, a review of over 4,000 pages of documents reveals marked shifts in messaging over the past four years. These changes, from eliminating assurances of Social Security's solvency to emphasizing its unsustainability, suggest a departure from the agency's prior objective of public education to supporting reforms. Examples include revisions in publications, press releases, employee presentations, and annual statements, all indicating a politicization of the agency and a divergence from improved solvency projections.
Date
2005-02-28
Document Type
House Minority Staff Report
Serial Number
Document Length
17 pages
Congress
109
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2005-02-28_R-Politicization_of_the_Social_Security_Admin-109C.pdf
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URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14300/862
Relation
DOI
Keywords
Staff Reports, House
PAP Major Code
13: Social Welfare
PAP Minor Code
1303: Elderly Issues and Elderly Assistance Programs (Including Social Security Administration)
Related Hearings
Senate Democratic Policy Committee, hearing on "The Bush Administration's Plans to Privatize Social Security," 109th Cong., (2005, January 28)
Press Releases and Contextual Information
https://web.archive.org/web/20051024204631/http://democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050228105659-90980.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20051024224217/http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=802&Issue=Social+Security+
Collections
House Oversight Committee