Court Opinion

ID: 9452333
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:37:34.966072+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:10.433950
License: Public Domain

BREITENSTEIN, Circuit Judge,
with whom LEWIS, Circuit Judge, concurs,
(dissenting).
The holding of the majority, as I understand it, is that the denial of benefits must be set aside because the record does not show the availability of employment in the geographic area where the claimant lives. I agree with the Appeals Council that “the incidence of employment in the claimant’s immediate area is not the statutory test.”
The testimony of the consultant mentioned by the majority was thus summarized by the Examiner:
“He (the witness) believed the claimant would be precluded from activity which would require heavy lifting or involve excessive bending or lifting of any consequence. He did not believe that this would deny the claimant entry to those occupations which would be light, sedentary and would be consistent with his age, educational background, residual capacity and work experience. He stated that he had occupations in mind which claimant could perform such as watchman, security guard and solderer. For bench activity he had in mind assembler of toys, common toys, saw filer, machine sharpener, and woodworking tool assembler. He believed that a spot welder machine operator was possible. He stated that these were occupations in the United States which were readily available since they were frequently in demand in the want ads.”
The witness also testified that the claimant would have “severe difficulty” in obtaining employment in the Duncan-Lawton area. He further said that jobs of the type which he had mentioned exist with frequency in the Oklahoma area and referred to the want ads in the Oklahoma City papers.
The statutory definition of disability includes “inability to engage in any substantially gainful activity.” See 42 U.S. C. § 416(i) (1). I find nothing in the Social Security Act suggesting a congressional intent to restrict the requirement to work available in the claimant’s home community. The legislative history suggests a contrary intent. The House Report on the 1965 amendments to the Act, which did not change the pertinent provision of the definition of disability, emphasized that a claimant must demonstrate inability to perform any substantial and gainful work “regardless of whether or not such work is available to him in the locality in which he lives.” See H.R.Rep.No. 213, 89th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 88.
The circuits are split on their treatment of the issue. Compare Celebrezze v. O’Brient, 5 Cir., 323 F.2d 989; Cele-brezze v. Sutton, 8 Cir., 338 F.2d 417; and Jones v. Celebrezze, 7 Cir., 331 F.2d 226, with Hodgson v. Celebrezze, 3 Cir., 357 F.2d 750; Hall v. Celebrezze, 4 Cir., 347 F.2d 937; and Massey v. Celebrezze, 6 Cir., 345 F.2d 146. The First Circuit has adopted the view that the government must show that “there is generally available employment of the kind for which he is fit and qualified.” See Torres v. Celebrezze, 1 Cir., 349 F.2d 342, 345, and Rodriquez v. Celebrezze, 1 Cir., 349 F.2d 494. In Gee v. Celebrezze, 7 Cir., 355 F.2d 849, 851, certiorari denied sub nom. Gee v. Gardner, 385 U.S. 856, 87 S.Ct. 98, 17 L.Ed.2d 83, the Court held that the Secretary was not required to show that employment opportunities were “presently available” to a claimant.
The effect of the majority holding is to make the Social Security Act an unemployment compensation act — at least for some individuals in some non-urban areas. In my opinion Congress had no such intent. Substantial evidence sus*449tains the finding of the Appeals Council that the claimant “has the capacity to perform substantial gainful activity as found within our economy.” An expert testified as to the existence within the Oklahoma area of work which the claimant could do. This is enough. The Secretary is not required to find a job for him. I would reverse the district court and affirm the order denying the claimed benefits.