This Friday, President Biden fired the head of the Social Security Administration, who was appointed during Donald Trump’s presidency, after he refused to resign, NBC News reports.
According to the White House, Andrew Saul, 74, “undermined and politicized” the agency’s benefits, along other issues that led to his firing.
“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 said.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Saul says he nevertheless plans to log into work on Monday. “This was the first I or my deputy knew this was coming,” Saul told the Post. “It was a bolt of lightning no one expected. And right now it’s left the agency in complete turmoil.”
David Black, who was Saul’s deputy and also appointed by Trump, resigned on Friday after the White House’s request.
