[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING FLINT, MI OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 25, 2000

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you to call attention to an 
event taking place in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. Today, civic and 
community leaders will gather to mark the official relocation of the 
Social Security Administration's Flint Office of Hearings and Appeals 
to 300 W. Second Street.
  Last year, the Flint Office of Hearings and Appeals celebrated its 
25th Anniversary. Since 1974, the office has existed in the downtown 
business district, providing an accessible service for thousands of 
individuals. The office provides a public service not only to residents 
of Flint, but also to Ann Arbor, Bay City, Saginaw, West Branch, 
Alpena, and many other surrounding communities. Staffed by three 
Administrative Law Judges, a Senior Administrative Law Judge, and 25 
loyal staff members, the office is one of the Social Security 
Administration's ten most productive offices nationally. During the 
2000 fiscal year, the Flint OHA processed 1,994 dispositions.
  I would also like to recognize Paul C. Lillios, Regional Chief 
Administrative Law Judge for Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, 
Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Judge Lillios will be in attendance to 
officiate the ceremony. His presence is proof of the SSA's commitment 
to the city, and its pledge to implement reform that will prove 
beneficial to its customers.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress, I consider it both my duty and 
my privilege to work to improve the quality of life for our citizens. I 
am glad that one person who shares this sentiment is Kenneth Apfel, the 
Commissioner of Social Security. He has diligently worked to ensure 
that the offices under his care maintain a high standard of 
productivity. I am pleased that the Flint OHA is one such office that 
has lived up to this ideal. I ask my fellow Members of Congress to join 
me in recognizing the opening of the new OHA office, and the beginning 
of a new era in public service.

                          ____________________