In a rare move, a senior government official, Andrew Saul—the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, was asked to resign by the President of the United States and refused. As a result, President Biden, after receiving advice from White House Counsel that he could legally remove him, fired him. Saul had a contract to serve a six-year term expiring in January of 2025 which only allowed for his termination for “neglect of duty†or malfeasance in office.â€Â However, the Supreme Court recently ruled requiring cause for removal of a federal employee was unconstitutional. Perhaps preparing for a legal battle with Saul, The White House issued a scathing press release which said, “Since taking office, Commissioner Saul has undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agency’s telework policy that was utilized by up to 25% of the agency’s workforce, not repaired SSA’s relationships with relevant federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the president’s policy agenda.â€Â President Biden also called for the resignation of the agency’s deputy commissioner David Black, who submitted his resignation. Kilolo Kijakazi, the Social Security Administration’s deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, will serve as acting commissioner.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/people/2021/07/biden-fires-saul-as-ssa-commissioner/