What is the purpose of this message? A Message to All SSA Employees

Subject: Our Road Ahead

Colleagues,

Criticism, contempt, stonewalling, and defensiveness are the four forces that can end any relationship and weaken any institution. Many of you feel angry, frustrated, and uncertain about the future. The world is different from the one we knew yesterday. Powerlessness and fear are rampant. I hear you. I understand. I empathize.

Elections have consequences. President Biden dismissed Andrew Saul, fundamentally altering the independence of the Social Security Administration. With that decision, the autonomy our employees once enjoyed changed.

Now, under President Thump, we follow established precedent: we serve at the pleasure and direction of the President. Only the Courts or Congress can intervene.

For too long, the Social Security Administration Headquarters has operated on autopilot, creating inefficiencies that burden our employees and all Americans. We have spent billions annually doing the same things the same way, leading to bureaucratic stagnation, inefficiency, and a lack of meaningful service improvements. It is time to change that.

We stand at a crossroads. With a clear mandate to change from the President, we are committed to ensuring that accountability never interferes with our customer contact service mission. We administer Old Age, Survivors, Disability Insurance and SSI. It is not our job to do the mission work of the FTC, ICE, BLS, IRS or the States. The life affirming moments we provide in the lives of citizens, is a result of serendipity - from doing our work well – it is not an end in itself, nor our mission. We need to double down on our greatest strength – the field. We need to revitalize SSA operations by streamlining activities, outsource non-essential functions to industry experts, and reinstating human judgment and common sense into every decision at every level.

This transformation requires tough, decisive choices. We will follow the law while embracing bold reforms. The changes we implement acknowledge the urgent customer service crisis we face and are determined to fix. For our dedicated staff and every American we serve, these difficult decisions are not setbacks but opportunities to create a more efficient, accountable, and responsive government.

With our reorganization, our regional offices have a seat at the Commissioners' table. We have offered Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) to give colleagues the ability to shape their own futures. Simultaneously, we aim to ensure that those who wish to continue serving have opportunities to do so in public-facing roles.

I am fully aware of my position. I am a temporary figure in this institution—here briefly in its long history. Given the changes I have overseen, I understand the trust challenges that may exist. I do not expect the nominee for Commissioner to retain someone who has made difficult and, at times, painful choices. My own professional future remains uncertain, and I do not claim to be a visionary like Martha Derthick or a technology innovator like Marvin Minsky.

Do I have all the answers? No.

Does leadership have all the answers? No.

Yet, I know this agency and its people. It is your turn to stand up and lead. To show the content of your character.

We have always been resilient, compassionate, and resourceful, and these qualities define the best of us. I believe we can find solutions together; they will make for a better, stronger SSA.

We now have the opportunity to select and empower the best leaders—individuals who will drive innovation, cut waste, and restore public confidence in Social Security and beyond. Together, we can transform government into an institution that truly serves the American people—one that operates efficiently, reinvests taxpayer dollars wisely, and upholds the integrity and excellence that our citizens deserve.

The road ahead will be challenging, but united in purpose, we will rise to the occasion and build a future defined by accountability, efficiency, and common sense.

Sincerely,

<PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PERSON>

Acting Commissioner