October 09,2020

Grassley, Brady Seek Answers on Chief Actuary’s Taxpayer-Funded Analysis for Non-Governmental Entities

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Committee on Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady (Texas-08) today sent a letter to Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration Stephen Goss requesting more information on how the Office of the Chief Actuary functions, particularly in responding to requests from outside groups, using taxpayer dollars.
 
 “Given the finite resources available and the important services the SSA provides to Americans, it is essential that the agency’s budget is used wisely. For that reason, we are seeking additional information regarding practices of the Office of the Chief Actuary for information, analysis, and/or technical assistance requested by non-government individuals and organizations,” the members wrote.
 
In late August, Goss provided analysis on a misleading claim by Democrats intended to scare Social Security beneficiaries. Goss’s analysis was then used to further that misleading claim. It is harmful to Social Security beneficiaries for Democrats to play politics with Social Security, to engage in scare tactics regarding the status of Social Security’s trust funds and to threaten the public trust in the independence of the Social Security Chief Actuary. Grassley and Brady then sought clarification in a letter, noting that, “It is unfortunate that some seek to use your office for election-year partisan scare tactics and we expect that in the future, you will not honor requests that serve no purpose beyond political posturing and are not grounded in serious inquiry.”
 
Full text of the letter can be found HERE.