Dear Dr. Palmer and Dr. Saving:
As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance, which oversees the Social Security and Medicare programs, we are writing to respectfully request that you do not sign the annual trustees’ reports for the Social Security and Medicare trust funds scheduled to be released on May 1.
The position of public trustee was created in 1983 to bring new perspectives and provide greater public accountability to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees’ reports.
Although you have both served admirably during your term in office, no one has ever served more than one term as a public trustee. We believe this important precedent must be maintained.
As such, we will introduce legislation to limit all future public trustees to a single four-year term.
When your terms expired following the release of the 2005 trustees’ reports on March 23,
2005, we expected the President to submit new nominees. Much to our dismay, the President waited until November 7, 2005 to submit your names to serve a second term. This unfortunate delay and resubmission precluded any meaningful consideration of new nominees or the active participation of new nominees in the development of the 2006 trustees’ reports.
We understand that both of you have worked as “paid consultants" to the Department of Treasury since your terms expired and have been intimately involved in the development of the
2006 reports. The President’s decision to recess appoint both of you on April 19 will technically allow you to sign the 2006 trustees’ reports, which are scheduled to be released on May 1. The credibility of the public trustees, however, requires their active and independent involvement throughout the process of producing the annual report. The integrity of the nomination process requires that the President nominate individuals and the Senate confirm them. The last minute appointment of paid administration consultants threatens our system of checks and balances and the position of public trustee.
Under the circumstances, we believe the most appropriate course of action is for you to not sign this year’s trustees’ report. We have also written to President Bush and requested that he submit new nominees as soon as possible.
Again, we thank you for your service and ask that you honor our request.
Sincerely yours,
Charles E. Grassley
Max Baucus
Source: Ranking Member’s News
