Who Decides?

Don’t you just love how calm and cheerful he is, as he hammers away at the truth? Even Stephen Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, couldn’t help but smile as Huelskamp asked for his help getting to the bottom of why Social Security checks might not go out Aug. 3, when the nation clearly has enough money — even under a debt limit budget — to cover the interest on its debt, Social Security and more (Huelskamp even had the chart to prove it!).

Goss confirmed the decision to send out Social Security checks (or not) would, indeed, be a Treasury Department (a.k.a. the administration’s) decision.




During a July 13, 2011 Budget Committee hearing Congressman Huelskamp asked Stephen Goss, Chief Actuary for Social Security, for additional information about President Obama's statement the day before that he cannot guarantee that Social Security checks would be mailed August 3. Mr. Goss indicated that the Social Security Administration anticipates issuing checks, but that it will be a decision of the Obama administration as to whether or not the checks are mailed. 

The Administration, a.k.a. Obama would decide to withhold sending out the checks.