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Jack Smalligan

@jsmalligan.bsky.social
3.2K followers 50 following 78 posts

Senior Policy Fellow at the Urban Institute. Analyze disability, retirement and paid leave policy. Served 27 years in the Office of Management and Budget.

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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
For anyone who is following trends in the SSDI and SSI programs, we have a great new resource: wittenburgconsulting.com/ssa-data-hub The website pulls data from a host of SSA sites, shows trends and provide links to the original SSA data site. Check it out!
wittenburgconsulting.com
Social Security Disability Data Hub
Making public SSA disability data easier to find, read, and use.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
A new proposal from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) would create caps on the maximum Social Security benefit, raising serious issues. In this short piece I examine the proposal. www.urban.org/urban-wire/s...
urban.org
Social Security Needs Reform, but Capping Benefits and Indexing to Inflation Could Do More Harm Than Good
Combining dollar cutoffs with indexing changes fundamentally alters the structure and philosophy that have guided the Social Security program for the past 90…
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Natalie Alms @almsnatalie.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Accessing disability benefits at the Social Security Administration has gotten more difficult since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to new qualitative research. www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
nextgov.com
Accessing Social Security disability benefits became harder in 2025, researchers find
Changes like the push to online servicing and introduction of AI on SSA phone lines made it difficult for certain recipients to access the agency.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Trump and Vought are now breaking both sides of spending law. They’re illegally not spending where the law requires them to spend, and they’re illegally spending where they don’t have the money to spend. What we have is an appropriations king. Spending “deals” are meaningless under that setup.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
The Wa Post has issued an important story on an upcoming major SSA disability regulation that would especially affect older disabled workers: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202... 1/2
washingtonpost.com
Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans
Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
🧵 Big changes may be coming to disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is preparing a rule that could reshape how eligibility is determined for SSDI and SSI. Here’s what you need to know—and why it matters. www.urban.org/research/pub...
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
The Administration has taken credit for a substantial drop in the Social Security disability claims backlog. In this piece I explore the concerning factors behind this drop, including fewer new applications and more denials. www.urban.org/urban-wire/s...
urban.org
The SSA Says It’s Reduced the Disability Claims Backlog. Fewer New Claims and a Higher Denial Rate Could Be Driving the Reduction
To better understand what’s driving a decrease in claims and increase in denials, the Social Security Administration could invest more in the research and st…
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
My new op-ed! “The pocket rescission is just a beacon meant to draw our attention. Trump wants us to focus on the foreign aid impoundments — a shiny object he’s illegally deleting via a pocket rescission — so that we forget about the quiet impoundments of cancer research and preschool funding.”
msnbc.com
Why a judge shut down Trump's latest budget stunt
A president can’t sign something into law and then immediately ignore parts of it. But that’s exactly what Trump is doing.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Important contrast.
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Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
People have been debating and worried about the Social Security Trust Fund shortfall for decades. It's widely seen as an enormous fiscal challenge. One Big Beautiful Bill's tax cuts' permanent cost is actually *larger* than the Social Security Trust Fund shortfall.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
The House reconciliation bill includes a provision that could keep many thousands of individuals from receiving EITC. This little noticed provision requires IRS to precertify millions of individuals for EITC. See this piece from Janet Holtzblatt. taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/one-b...
taxpolicycenter.org
One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s EITC Precertification Requirement Could Delay Refunds
With precertification, many eligible taxpayers would have to wait longer for their EITC, causing financial hardships in the meantime--if they get it all.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
The rescissions request is out. This is very real. As with reconciliation, this is filibuster-proof, meaning that there is no Senate cloture vote, and Republicans can pass it even with all Dems opposed. The White House is calling to cut global health programs, condemning people to die.
PROPOSED RESCISSION OF BUDGET AUTHORITY
Report Pursuant to Section 1012 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 683)
Agency: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau: Other
Account: Global Health Programs (019-1031 2025/2026)
Amount proposed for rescission: $500,000,000
Justification:
This proposal would rescind $500 million of the $4 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for Global
Health Programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds
activities related to child and maternal health, HIV/AIDS, and infectious diseases. This proposal
would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American
interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like "family planning" and "reproductive
health," LGBTQI+ activities, and "equity" programs. This rescission proposal aligns with the
Administration's efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs. Enacting
the rescission would reinstate focus, on appropriate health and life spending. This best serves the
American taxpayer. PROPOSED RESCISSION OF BUDGET AUTHORITY
Report Pursuant to Section 1012 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 683)
Agency: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau: Other
Account: Global Health Programs (019-1031 2025/2029)
Amount proposed for rescission: $400,000,000
Justification:
This proposal would rescind $400 million of the $6 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for global
health programs for the Department of State and implemented by the U.S. Agency for
International Development. The Global Health Programs account funds activities related to
controlling HIV/ AIDS. This proposal would eliminate only those programs that neither provide
life-saving treatment nor support American interests. This rescission proposal aligns with the
Administration's efforts to eliminate wasteful foreign assistance programs. Enacting the
rescission would restore focus on health and life spending. This best se~es the American
taxpayer.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
The crisis at SSA since January 20 is impacting people. Individual claims for retirement benefits are up 13 percent compared with this time last year, an increase of more than 276,000 claims. In this piece Chantel Boyens and I examine the development. 1/4 www.urban.org/urban-wire/m...
urban.org
More Americans Are Filing for Retirement Benefits Earlier—Their Long-Term Retirement Security Could Suffer as a Result
Claiming Social Security early reduces a person’s monthly benefit and can threaten their and their families’ economic security in the long term.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
An important thread.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
The FY 2026 President’s Budget level for the Social Security Administration (SSA) represents a second year of essentially flat funding for SSA’s core operations, even as costs and rates of claiming increase, making the proposed level a cut in real terms. 1/5
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
he's drawing a line! he's okay with the largest medicaid cuts in history, but not the super duper largest medicaid cuts in history 😤
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Former Social Security Administration leaders have warned that staffing reductions and computer outages could make SSA more vulnerable to a short interruption in benefits. Urban Institute experts modeled this scenario: www.urban.org/urban-wire/d...
urban.org
Disruptions to Social Security Checks Would Leave 6 Million Beneficiaries Unable to Make Ends Meet
Staffing cuts at the Social Security Administration after years of underfunding could disrupt the delivery of Social Security benefit checks, which would expose millions of Americans to financial hard...
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
in total, the republican judiciary bill would give $73 billion to ICE over 5 years - a 140% increase annual increase in ICE funding above its current level of $10.5 per year $9 billion for ICE agents, $14.4 billion for deportations, $45 billion for detention facilities, $5 billion for other stuff
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
The National Academy of Social Insurance’s Task Force on AI, Emerging Tech and Disability Benefits has released its Phase One Report. With so much focus on using AI at the Social Security Administration this report is very timely. 1/2 www.nasi.org/pressrelease...
nasi.org
National Academy Task Force on AI, Emerging Tech & Disability Benefits Releases First Report -
National Academy Task Force on AI, Emerging Tech & Disability Benefits Releases First Report
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
The Trump Administration’s use of the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File for immigration enforcement undermines the integrity and solvency of Social Security. Here is an assessment from Tara Watson and me. See next post on a piece from CBPP. www.brookings.edu/articles/imm...
brookings.edu
Immigrants and the Social Security death master file
Adding immigrants to the Social Security death master file undermines both the integrity and the solvency of the Social Security system.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
This happens every single time with DOGE. Each “revelation” at Social Security has been at best an elementary misunderstanding, at worst a slanderous lie. Either way, we cannot trust these people with our sensitive data & vital benefits.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
The NYT and WaPost report the Trump Administration is erroneously adding immigrants to what is known as the “death master file” who are not deceased and have legally obtained an SSN. The Social Security Administration has accepted an initial list of about 6,000 immigrants. 1/5
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Republicans have signaled their intent to break all budget rules in the Senate by inventing their own cost estimates on the spot. This would be many steps towards nuking the filibuster - and you may as well repeal the entire Congressional Budget Act at that point. Thread explaining it would work
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
My new op-ed w/Jason Fichtner: The Social Security Administration is in crisis, and people’s benefits are at risk. We do not say this lightly. We both served in senior roles at SSA — one of us under a Democratic president and the other under a Republican. thehill.com/opinion/5220...
thehill.com
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
If you are trying to follow all the Trump actions regarding Social Security, this piece is a must read. The authors explain why the actions and attacks on the program put SSA and its beneficiaries at risk. www.cbpp.org/sites/defaul...
cbpp.org
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Martha Gimbel @marthagimbel.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
There’s been a lot of talk recently about cutting funding and staffing at the IRS. New work from the Budget Lab shows that if the IRS shrinks by 50% we estimate that this would result in 350 billion net forgone revenue over the 10-year budget window. 1/ @budgetlab.bsky.social
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
The Trump Social Security Admin leaders are taking another step backwards. Lisa Rein @FedGirlWaPo reports that they plan to require millions to file for benefits in person. Plenty of rigorous research that shows new administrative obstacles reduces program participation.
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Sharon Parrott @sharonparrott.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
The Senate has passed the deeply flawed House R funding bill. It’s far from “clean”— but the single most important fact now is this: The CR has set in law full-year funding levels that make clear the Administration's impoundments & mass firings remain illegal. Period.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
One thing everyone should understand is that DOGE has created the least efficient conditions for government I've ever seen. *The working conditions are chaotic. *No clear sense of who works there. *Routine processes have been stopped. *No planning can take place. *People are incredibly demoralized.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Every year, we debate the funding levels for about 1/3 of the budget. How much is NASA gonna get this year? What about NIH? How about the EPA? When we do an omnibus or a CR, we’re working on that 1/3 or the budget. Reconciliation is largely about seeking to change the remaining 2/3 of the budget.
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
To everyone who cares about health policy research: staff at the HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are being told DOGE plans to RIF 85 to 90% of the staff, decimating the agency and longstanding research and data collection, such as the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
The Republican CR would give $485 million more to ICE while cutting Head Start and funding to help keep our drinking water safe.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
House Republicans just passed a full-year appropriations bill for 2025 that will worsen the customer service crisis at the Social Security Administration (SSA) by freezing its already low customer service funding. This amounts to a *cut* after adjusting for inflation. 🧵
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Last Friday SSA announced that for new Social Security overpayments the repayment amount would increase from 10% of benefits to 100%. This effort reflects both a glaring lack of understanding of the program and a deep indifference to the harm to beneficiaries. 1/5
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
We’ve been hearing a lot from the Trump administration about waste, fraud and abuse at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Speaker Johnson has repeated these claims. What and where is this waste? A revealing SSA press release shows the emptiness of these charges. 1/8
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
In over thirty years of working on the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget and now the Urban Institute, I have never been more concerned about the agency than I am today. 1/9
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Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
I have a new Urban Institute blog that examines the serious impact reductions in the number of government employees will have on people applying for Social Security and SSI disability benefits, benefits for which people are entitled. www.urban.org/urban-wire/d...
urban.org
Downsizing Staff Will Make It Harder to Receive Social Security Payments
With the Social Security Administration already experiencing staff shortages, any further reductions in workforce will exacerbate claims backlogs and increase wait times.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Anyway, it’s legitimately a great thing for Rs to aggressively go after Medicare fraud. The doctors and hospitals doing it take advantage of the elderly and leave the HI Trust Fund closer to insolvency. Recommend Rs ask the their in-house Medicare fraud expert Senator Rick Scott for suggestions.
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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Great piece. I'll never have a better boss than Shalanda Young, and you'll never find a better public servant. apnews.com/article/shal...
apnews.com
Few know Shalanda Young. But she saved the US from the kinds of economic crises Trump now faces
Few Democrats found ways to negotiate with Republicans quite like Shalanda Young — whose work as White House budget director stopped several potential economic crises from erupting.
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