Andrew Marshall Saul (born November 6, 1946) is an American businessman and political candidate who served as commissioner of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...
from 2019 to 2021. Saul was fired from the position by President
Joe Biden on July 9, 2021, after refusing to offer his requested resignation.
Saul stated that his discharge was illegal.
Saul previously served as the chair of the
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board is an independent agency of the United States government by the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It has roughly 270 employees. It was established to administer the Thrift Savings Plan ...
(FRTIB) and vice chairman of the
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...
.
Saul has been a general partner in the investment firm Saul Partners, L.P., since 1986.
As chair of the Thrift Investment Board, he oversaw the
Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan for United States civil service employees and retirees as well as for members of the uniformed services. As of December 31, 2020, TSP has approximately 6.2million participants (of which ...
(TSP), a retirement savings account for employees of the Federal Government and soldiers of the
armed services
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
.
Early life and education
Saul was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He graduated from the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private Ivy League rese ...
in 1968.
Career
Business
Saul began his career with
Brooks
Brooks may refer to:
Places
;Antarctica
*Cape Brooks
;Canada
*Brooks, Alberta
;United States
* Brooks, Alabama
* Brooks, Arkansas
*Brooks, California
*Brooks, Georgia
* Brooks, Iowa
* Brooks, Kentucky
* Brooks, Maine
* Brooks Township, Michigan ...
Fashion Stores, rising to become its president, and growing the company into a large corporation listed on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
. Along with his father, he then purchased the bankrupt South Florida women's apparel company
Caché Inc. and restored it to solvency. The company was an upscale fashion store with 300 outlets around the world, and was publicly traded on the
NASDAQ
The Nasdaq Stock Market () (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the US by volume, and ranked second ...
. He has served on the board of directors since 1986, and as chair from February 1993 to October 2000.
In 1986, he founded an investment firm with his father, Saul Partners, L.P., as a partner.
Cache again filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015 when it ceased all operations. He is a member of the board of trustees of the
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies
UJA-Federation of New York (United Jewish Appeal – Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Inc.) is the largest local philanthropy in the world. Headquartered in New York City, the organization raises and allocates funds annuall ...
, the United Jewish Appeal Federation, the Sarah Neuman Nursing Home, the
Wharton School of Business
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in ...
, the
Manhattan Institute
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Ant ...
, and
Mount Sinai Hospital,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He is also a member of the Chairman's Council of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
and a patron of the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, and is one of the top art collectors in New York, with extensive holdings of modern art and contemporary art, especially post war American and Chinese
bronzes. In May 2013, he was made a member of the board of trustees for the National Gallery of Art.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
In 2006, Saul was appointed by Governor
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went on ...
to a six-year term as a vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority after nine years as a board member. He was recommended by
Westchester County Executive
A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county.
The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
Andy Spano.
He also served as Chair of the Finance Committee, and was a member of each of the other eleven board committees of the MTA. Saul was originally appointed to the board to represent Westchester County in 1996 by County Executive
Andrew O'Rourke.
In 2005, Saul was one of only two members to vote against a one-time $50 million holiday fare discount from the MTA's budget surplus.
Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board
Saul was nominated by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in 2002 as chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency which manages the
Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan for United States civil service employees and retirees as well as for members of the uniformed services. As of December 31, 2020, TSP has approximately 6.2million participants (of which ...
for employees of
Federal Government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
agencies, and soldiers in the Armed Services, providing retirement security for more than 3.7 million participants.
[Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Board Members](_blank)
, Retrieved April 8, 2007, fro
tsp.gov
He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, which was controlled by the
Democrats. Saul replaced James H. Atkins of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, who had been nominated to a third term by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
in a
recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...
. Since being appointed by President Bush, Saul pushed for more rigorous audits of TSP operations.
The
General Accounting Office
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal govern ...
concurred with Saul's efforts in a 2003 report, urging Congress to set up procedures that would keep it better informed about the operations and policy decisions at the federal employee retirement program, suggesting that Congress could "establish a formal process by which the Secretary of Labor can report to the Congress issues of critical concern associated with the actions of the TSP board and executive director."
During his confirmation hearing, Senator
Daniel Akaka
Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Akaka was the first U.S. Senator of Nati ...
told Saul he would be facing a difficult situation, as the outgoing executive director had taken a number of actions before his sudden departure which led to "demoralization of the TSP staff, expensive lawsuits, investigations, rancorous battles with other agencies, along with the costs of a failed record keeping system project" that were all eventually dealt with by the FRTIB.
["When I and two of my fellow Board members last appeared before this Subcommittee in November 2002, at our confirmation hearing, then Chairman Akaka graciously yet firmly made us aware of the difficult situation that we faced in assuming our new roles as Board members. This warning proved to be an understatement, as we entered an embattled agency. The outgoing Executive Director took a number of actions just before his abrupt departure that demoralized the staff, many of whom had built the program from the beginning. Expensive lawsuits and investigations were sprouting up, rancorous battles were underway with other agencies, the costs of the failed record keeping system project had not been charged to participants, and decisions had to be made immediately on whether to go forward with the new record keeping system project at all. I and my fellow Board members entered this environment and, working with the seasoned senior career staff, methodically sorted through these matters, keeping the new system and other projects on track and moving forward as we restored essential relationships."&mdas]
Oversight of the Thrift Savings Plan: Ensuring the Integrity of Federal Employee Retirement Savings
''Statement of The Honorable Andrew M. Saul, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs''. March 1, 2004. Shortly after Saul assumed office, TSP Executive Director James Petrick resigned.
[Rutzick, Karen.]
Retirement Planning Honey Pot
".
Government Executive
'. April 20, 2007. It has been alleged by former FRTIB Chairman and Executive Director Roger Mehle that this occurred when Petrick wished to pursue a lawsuit against the contractor for the record keeping system which led to a conflict with the Justice Department over whether the board had standing to sue.
Saul pursued a settlement and dropped the lawsuit.
[A Federal Agency Responds To Criticism Of Wasting Money]
.
Information Week
'. July 19, 2004. In 2007, Mehle launched his own lawsuit against Saul and the board which alleges that the board violated its fiduciary duty to TSP participants by forcing out Petrick in order to settle the lawsuit against the contractor.
With the Thrift Savings Board, he eliminated open enrollment periods, which had allowed eligible participants to enroll year-round.
[Barr, Stephen.]
". ''The Washington Post''. February 2, 2005.[Barr, Stephen.]
TSP Aims to End Limits on When Employees Can Alter Retirement Accounts
. ''The Washington Post'', page B02. April 12, 2004.
Saul, and his executive director Gary Amelio, inherited a mishandled computer project for a new record-keeping system, which had been started in 1997 and wasted $36 million.
[Barr, Stephen.]
. ''The Washington Post''. January 15, 2006. The system was eventually brought online in 2003. Under the direction of Saul and Amelio, a new mainframe computer was installed that ran ten times faster than the old system, with an emergency backup computer that can be used in the event of a disaster.
The agency also acquired its first toll-free line, opened two new call centers, and extended hours for customer service.
On May 3, 2007, President George W. Bush renominated Saul to two more consecutive terms on the board expiring September 25, 2012. Following the resignation of Gary Amelio in 2007, Saul appointed Gregory T. Long as executive director for the Thrift Savings Plan. Long was previously the director of product development for the TSP.
In June 2007, the Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board approved a resolution to prohibit Congress from proposing that companies that do business in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
or
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
be removed from the Thrift Savings Plan, in order to reduce support for Iran's oil and gas industry or to reprimand the Sudanese government for its role in the
Darfur conflict
The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, is a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups be ...
.
[Barr, Stephen.]
Retirement Fund Shouldn't Be Political Tool, Board Says
. ''The Washington Post''. June 21, 2007. Saul said such changes would not be in the TSP participants' best interest since the changes would go against past precedent that the TSP not interfere in social or political matters.
Members of Congress including Reps.
Tom Davis,
Jon Porter
Jonathan Christopher "Jon" Porter (born May 16, 1955) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, the first representative elected from the 3rd Congressional District of Nevada.
He ...
,
Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1975 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
His district included much of the western part of the city of L ...
, and
Danny Davis, wrote Saul in July 2005 saying that they wanted to have an independent professional investment consultant examine whether new investment choices would benefit TSP participants, which led to a conflict between Congress and the board regarding
real estate investment trust
A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that owns, and in most cases operates, income-producing real estate. REITs own many types of commercial real estate, including office and apartment buildings, warehouses, hospitals, shopping cente ...
funds.
[. Retrieved December 8, 2007, fro]
fedmanager.com
Saul and other board members discussed several future options for the TSP, including asking Congress to require automatic enrollment in the TSP for new hires, as Government employees now must sign up for a payroll deduction.
[Barr, Stephen.]
. ''The Washington Post'', page D04. October 17, 2006. Other proposals included asking Congress whether to designate a new default fund for FERS employees who do not enroll but receive a mandatory agency contribution of 1 percent of salary, since that money now goes into the government securities fund, but TSP officials think the L Funds would be a more appropriate, long-term investment.
Saul also suggested adding a
Roth 401(k)
The Roth 401(k) is a type of retirement savings plan. It was authorized by the United States Congress under the Internal Revenue Code, section 402A, and represents a unique combination of features of the Roth IRA and a traditional 401(k) plan. Sin ...
-style feature to the TSP that is similar to Roth individual savings accounts, by allowing participants to make contributions with money that has been taxed, with the contributions growing tax-free and account balances being withdrawn tax-free.
Employees now contribute pre-tax dollars to the TSP and pay taxes when they withdraw their savings.
President Bush likened his
social security privatization
This article concerns proposals to change the Social Security system in the United States. Social Security is a social insurance program officially called "Old-age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance" (OASDI), in reference to its three components ...
plan to the TSP, although it was never adopted.
[Olsen, Florence.]
Is TSP a model for Social Security?
".
Federal Computer Week
'. June 12, 2005. Bush believed that the TSP could serve as a model for his proposed personal accounts.
[Arnold et al. 1998, pp. 19–20]
Under Saul's stewardship, the board tightened the rules for the TSP loan program in 2004, imposing a waiting period for new loans and charging a loan-processing fee, which dropped the number of loans issued from about 1,800 loans per day to an average of 534 per day.
[Barr, Stephen.]
. ''The Washington Post''. July 20, 2004. TSP participants may hold two loans at the same time and pay them back through payroll deductions, and may pay off a loan early and immediately request a new loan.
[Michel 2005, p. 41][Barr, Stephen.]
. ''The Washington Post'', page B02. September 19, 2003. The Board felt the loan program was partially responsible for the slowdown during the launch of the new-record keeping system.
The Board also felt that participants are asked to absorb the cost of a loan program that they rarely use, and that the borrowers were also tying up the TSP's limited staff resources, leading to the changes.
During a 2005 audit called for by Saul, representatives of
Deloitte & Touche
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
gave the TSP a clean audit and said they found no major problems with TSP's internal financial controls.
[Barr, Stephen.]
TSP Board Will Resist Adding Real Estate Fund
. ''The Washington Post'', page B02. April 19, 2005.
Political involvement
Saul was a
Bush Pioneer
Bush Pioneers are people who gathered $100,000 for George W. Bush's 2000 or 2004 presidential campaign. Two new levels, Bush Rangers and Super Rangers, were bestowed upon supporters who gathered $200,000+ or $300,000+, respectively, for the 2004 ...
in 2000 and 2004, raising over $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney campaign, and has contributed to numerous Republican candidates and served on the
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reorgan ...
.
[Barr, Stephen.]
Lingering Headaches Await Savings Plan's New Board Members
. ''The Washington Post'', page B02. November 2, 2002. Along with
Bill Kristol
William Kristol (; born December 23, 1952) is an American neoconservative writer. A frequent commentator on several networks including CNN, he was the founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine ''The Weekly Standard''. Kristol is now ...
and
Peggy Noonan
Margaret Ellen Noonan (born 1950), known as Peggy Noonan, is a weekly columnist for ''The Wall Street Journal'', and contributor to NBC News and ABC News. She was a primary speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan from 1984 t ...
, Saul is a trustee of the
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Anto ...
, a prominent conservative think-tank which promotes
limited government
In political philosophy, limited government is the concept of a government limited in power. It is a key concept in the history of liberalism.Amy Gutmann, "How Limited Is Liberal Government" in Liberalism Without Illusions: Essays on Liberal Theo ...
and free-market principles whose mission is to "develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility" and has hosted policy speeches by then-
National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils.
National sec ...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
in 2002 and both President Bush and Vice President
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
in 2006. His daughter, Jennifer Saul Yaffa, is the National Committeewoman of the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
from the
New York Republican State Committee
The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City. . She is also head of the
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
GOP
The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, ...
.
For several months in 2007, Saul was a candidate for the Republican nomination to run against
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
John Hall John Hall may refer to:
Academics
* John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic
* John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal
* John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...
in the
2008 election. Saul had been eyeing the seat for
New York's 19th congressional district
New York's 19th congressional district is located in New York's Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley regions. It lies partially in the northernmost region of the New York metropolitan area and mostly south of Albany. This district is currently rep ...
since 1993, when
Sue Kelly
Sue Weisenbarger Kelly (née Madelyn Sue Weisenbarger; born September 26, 1936) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007, representing New York's ...
won a crowded primary.
[Elan, Susan.]
Republicans Line Up to Challenge Freshman Congressman
. ''The Journal News
''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York (state), New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester County, New York, Westchester, Rockland County, New York, Rockland, and Putnam County, New York, Putnam, a region known as the H ...
''. May 22, 2007. She won the seat and held it until being defeated by Hall in 2006.
Saul's 2007 campaign raised more money than Hall in the second quarter of 2007, although Hall had more total money on hand. A spokesman for the
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives.
The NRCC was formed in 1866, when the Republican caucuses of the House and S ...
described Saul as a "top recruit".
[Hall Rivals for '08 are Lining Up](_blank)
. Retrieved April 8, 2007, fro
nrcc.org
/ref> Another Republican candidate, Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
veteran Kieran Lalor
Kieran Michael Lalor (born January 23, 1976) is an American politician, entrepreneur and author who founded Iraq Vets for Congress (a political action committee). He works in the defense industry, and is a former social studies teacher, and a U. ...
, criticized Saul as being too liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
, saying he was "Sue Kelly
Sue Weisenbarger Kelly (née Madelyn Sue Weisenbarger; born September 26, 1936) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007, representing New York's ...
all over again".
On November 20, 2007, Saul announced that he was dropping out of the race because of unspecified "personal reasons".
Social Security Administration
On April 12, 2018, President Trump
Trump most commonly refers to:
* Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
* Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank
Trump may also refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Donald J. T ...
announced his intention to nominate Saul to be Commissioner of Social Security, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring January 19, 2019, and for an additional six-year term expiring January 19, 2025. The nomination drew sharp criticism from Social Security and disability advocacy groups because of his involvement with the right-wing Manhattan Institute
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Ant ...
, which has repeatedly called for cuts to Social Security benefits. His lack of experience with Social Security and the accusation that he impersonated a police chief while trespassing on his bicycle were also brought into question. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
. He was renominated on January 22, 2019, for the remainder of a six-year term expiring January 19, 2025. On March 26, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee favorably by the Senate Committee on Finance. On June 4, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 77–16.
On June 17, 2019, Saul was officially sworn in as the Commissioner of Social Security at the agency's offices in Washington, D.C.
The first FEVS report issued under Saul shows SSA dropped two ranks in the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government list. The Agency dropped from 12th out of 17, to 14th. Per the official government report, SSA employees listed, among other reasons for the decline, a lack of confidence in leadership.
Termination and reinstatement of remote work policies
During his fourth month in office Saul ended the six-year remote work
Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...
policies for nearly 12,000 employees. It was effectively for naught as the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
forced the return and expansion of the program for nearly the entirety of the SSA in March 2020.
Removal
On July 9, 2021, Saul was removed from his position as commissioner by President Joe Biden, after he refused a request to resign. Saul says his discharge is illegal, despite two recent Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
precedents saying that the president does have the authority to fire the head of an independent agency.
Saul also responded by comparing his termination to the attorneys fired in Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
's "Saturday Night Massacre
The Saturday Night Massacre was a series of events that took place in the United States on the evening of Saturday, October 20, 1973, during the Watergate scandal. U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire ...
", and that he would continue to do his job remotely, pointing out that his six-year term would not expire until 2025. He insisted on a return to work the following Monday, but was denied access to SSA systems when he tried to log-on remotely from home on July 12.[ Biden has appointed ]Kilolo Kijakazi
Kilolo Kijakazi is an American academic serving as acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration. She was previously appointed deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy in January 2021, before taking on the top position ...
as Saul's acting successor.
Personal life
He and his wife Denise have two daughters, one of whom is active in Republican politics. His father suffered a stroke in 1996, and Saul became the primary caregiver. Joseph Saul died in 2007.Paid Notice: Deaths SAUL, JOSEPH E.
''The New York Times''. April 13, 2007.
Additional reading
* Arnold, R. Douglas, Graetz, Michael, Munnell, Alicia Haydock. ''Framing the Social Security Debate: Values, Politics, and Economics'', Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 1998, .
* Brandon, Laura. ''Art and War'', London: I. B. Tauris, 2006, .
* Hughes, Gerald & Stewart, Jim. ''The Role of the State in Pension Provision: Employer, Regulator, Provider'', New York: Springer, 1999, .
* Hustead, Edwin C. & Mitchell, Olivia S. ''Pensions in the Public Sector'', Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000, .
* Michel, Christopher. ''The Military Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Military & Veterans Benefits'', New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005, .
* Niss, Barbara. ''This House of Noble Deeds: The Mount Sinai Hospital, 1852–2002'', New York: NYU Press, 2002, .
* Stegman, Michael. ''Savings for the Poor: The Hidden Benefits of Electronic Banking'', New York: Brookings Institution Press, 1999, .
* Sullivan, Michael. ''Your thrift savings plan'', Reston: Federal Employees News Digest, 1999, .
* Turner, John. ''Individual Accounts for Social Security Reform: International Perspective on the U.S.Debate'', Kalamazoo: W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
The W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is an American research organization based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its purpose is to find and promote solutions to employment-related problems.
Background
The W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employm ...
, 2005, .
*United States Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform. Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization. ''H.R. 1578, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Can They Improve the Thrift Savings Plan'', Washington D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 2005, .
*United States Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform. ''The Thrift Savings Plan: Putting Customers First?'', Washington D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 2003.
*United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Financial Management, the Budget, and International Security. ''Oversight of the Thrift Savings Plan: Ensuring the Integrity of Federal Employee Retirement'', Washington D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 2004, .
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saul, Andrew M.
1946 births
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