(R-Maine)
Recently, the Senate approved the Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill that will fund so many essential health, education, and social services programs in our state. I was pleased that an amendment, which I offered with Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) was included in the bill, to increase funding that is vital to helping the Social Security Administration process disability claims more quickly. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently facing nothing short of a crisis when it comes to processing disability claims. Indeed, SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue has called this issue his agency’s most pressing challenge. Currently, there are over 756,000 individuals who are waiting for a hearing to have their claims reviewed. In 2001, disability applicants had to wait an average of 308 days for a hearing. Today that long wait has escalated to a staggering 512 days. That’s the longest amount of time in SSA’s history. And, sadly, some people have died waiting for a hearing.
The fact is, the Social Security Administration has been increasingly burdened with more tasks, but without the resources to meet those challenges. That is why I sponsored this amendment to provide the funding required to enable SSA to process disability claims in a far more timely manner. This additional funding will help the SSA reduce its disability backlog and ensure that individuals receive critically needed benefits to which they are entitled. Because of the financial strains on applicants and their families, it is simply unconscionable to have individuals waiting for upwards of two years before they receive a ruling on their disability claims. We can and must do better – it is our moral obligation as Americans.
I was also pleased that the Senate adopted a second amendment I offered last week that would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the SSA’s plan to both reduce the disability hearing backlog and improve disability benefits processing. I believe it is imperative that the GAO evaluate the SSA’s plan to assure that the funds we provide will result in vastly improved handling of disability claims and benefits.
This legislation is a step in the right direction. Hardworking Americans deserve better, and I strongly urge the President to sign this vital legislation into law.
