[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3198-S3199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      NOMINATION OF ANDREW M. SAUL

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I oppose the nomination of Andrew 
Saul to be Commissioner of Social Security. I am deeply concerned about 
the treatment of unions who represent workers at the Social Security 
Administration, and Mr. Saul declined to give meaningful assurances 
that anything will change under his leadership. Americans everywhere 
count on the Federal employees of the Social Security Administration to 
ensure fairness and efficiency in the benefits provided by Social 
Security for retirees, people with disabilities, and surviving spouses 
and dependents.
  The Social Security Administration demonstrated particular hostility 
towards its workforce in the way it implemented Executive orders that 
were issued by President Trump on May 25, 2018, which would have 
undermined lawful civil service protections. Despite a court order 
striking down significant portions of these Executive orders, 
management at the Social Security Administration has continued to 
insist on positions in collective bargaining agreements that closely 
mirror the invalidated Executive orders. The Federal Service Impasses 
Panel recently imposed a contract on one of the unions representing 
Social Security workers that hews closely to the Executive orders, 
including provisions to deny the union use of office space in 
government buildings and slash the official time available to the union 
to fulfill their statutory duties to represent workers.
  When asked about these attacks on the rights of Social Security 
workers, Mr. Saul provided only vague statements that included no 
commitments to take meaningful action to improve labor practices at 
Social Security. Workers at the Social Security Administration and the 
American people who are counting on Social Security deserve better, and 
I hope Mr. Saul will prove me wrong by proactively engaging with his 
workforce and reversing the damage that has been done.

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