Biden Picks Former Md. Governor O'Malley as Social Security Commissioner

Senate Democrats pressed Biden last October to protect and expand Social Security by filling the vacant commissioner and deputy commissioner seats at the Social Security Administration — which have been open for more than a year.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., tweeted Wednesday that “Martin O’Malley never backs down from a challenge. I’m excited by the news that @POTUS has nominated my friend, and one of Maryland’s most successful governors, to be the next Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.”

The Social Security Administration “has not had a Senate-confirmed commissioner nominated by a Democratic president since 2001,” Altman said. “During that time, Congressional Republicans have starved SSA of resources, resulting in backlogs and long waits. With staffing the lowest it has been in a quarter of a century, SSA’s hardworking and dedicated public servants are overworked and underpaid.”

As commissioner, Altman said that O’Malley “will be in prime position to persuade Congress to allow SSA to spend just a few percentage points more of Social Security’s $2.8 trillion surplus on administrative expenses, as President Biden has requested.”