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Kathleen Romig

@kathleenromig.bsky.social
11K followers 368 following 1.2K posts

📊 Director of Social Security and Disability Policy at @centeronbudget 🏛️ Proud former fed: SSA, CRS, OMB, SSAB

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 6h
Corporations and billionaires don’t want you to know what political messages they are funding. That’s why they make the info so difficult to find. PaidForBy.info changes the game. It’s 100% free to use. Please check it out and spread the word!
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Phil Rocco @philiprocco.bsky.social · 9h
A few months ago, I wrote about our feeble, brittle laws against propaganda for @donmoyn.bsky.social’s substack. Especially when propaganda is linked to cash, it’s time that we revisit the pathetic quality of what passes for checks against executive overreach: open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
open.substack.com
The Federal Government is Emailing You Campaign Literature – Can Anyone Stop It?
Is it legal for Social Security to send you partisan propaganda? In theory, no…
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 02/10/2026
"Part of what is so striking about Texas v. Kennedy is that the federal government was originally the defendant […] brought by states fighting what's known as the integration mandate. Then it switched sides & agreed with the states that the requirement should be undone.” www.npr.org/2026/10/01/n...
npr.org
Trump administration reverses stance on integration of people with disabilities
Disability rights advocates are angered by the latest reversal but are rallying behind proposed legislation and working with states to strengthen protections for community integration.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Incredible chutzpah from a Congress whose one major legislative act was a budget bill that among other things imposed significant new administrative burdens on Medicaid recipients
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
SSA is falling far short of its splashy goal of 200M mySocialSecurity accounts. This raises questions of how well leadership understands the needs of people who use SSA services & how well their tools serve them. Too bad they fired their customer experience staff! www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
nextgov.com
SSA’s lead had set a goal of 200M online accounts this year — experts say that might prove challenging
The Trump administration recently achieved 105 million online accounts, and lawyers are increasingly encouraging clients to make them as more services go digital.
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Sharon Parrott @sharonparrott.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Trump Admin once again announced, w/ no prior notice & no time for Congress to respond, that it was taking illegal unilateral action — a so-called “pocket rescission” impoundment — to cause $800M+ from 11 program accounts to expire unused after 9/30. time.com/article/2026...
time.com
What Is a ‘Pocket Rescission’? Inside Trump’s Move to Cancel $810 Million in Federal Funding
The Trump Administration is seeking to claw back spending that was approved for programs including those serving immigrants, refugees, minority groups, and children.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My choice whether to have a 3rd child was sure constrained by living in a 2BR apt. In my area, housing is expensive. Houses crazy expensive & 3BRs are rare so they command a steep premium. "Starter homes" are a long way from my job & family support--& mostly not transit accessible.
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
New, from me: Once memory-holed, DOGE is now the subject of revisionism. To better understand why DOGE failed, I talked to people in the civic tech movement that DOGE displaced, who continue to offer the alternative model for how to modernize govt. 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/doge-vs-ci...
donmoynihan.substack.com
DOGE vs. Civic Tech
As DOGE revisionism picks up, a contrast with the civic tech movement it displaced illuminates its failure
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The Social Security data SCOTUS just cleared the Trump Admin to use is known to have outdated and missing information on citizenship. Using it will almost certainly disenfranchise eligible citizen voters in the midterms. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
cbpp.org
Trump Administration Doubles Down on Using Flawed Data to Restrict Voting Access
September 10, 2026: In September, the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling blocking the use of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Systematic Alien Ver...
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Incredible. First Secretary Mullin claimed that DHS had identified 15,903 noncitizens on Nevada’s voter roll. Then DHS officials told a skeptical Nevada, no no no, that’s just people we flagged. Here are the names of 185 people we KNOW aren’t citizens. All 185 were citizens. DHS got 100% wrong.
When the Department of Homeland Security sent Nevada a list of 185 names last month that it claimed identified noncitizens who had been improperly allowed to register to vote, state election officials got to work.
On Tuesday, the state sent a strongly worded rebuke to the federal government: Every single person on the list was a lawful citizen.
"As for the 185 individuals, our records indicate that they were citizens," Greg D. Ott, a deputy attorney general in Nevada, wrote, according to a copy of a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security officials obtained through open records requests.
"You have provided nothing of substance to suggest otherwise."Following the meeting, Ms. Vogt sent a clarifying email to Nevada officials. "I also wanted to be sure I clarified that we did not reduce the 15,903 to 185," she wrote. "We've manually reviewed some of the 15,903 and confirmed 185 are not U.S. Citizens."
Now, Nevada officials are saying even that 185 number is wrong. They also took issue with a letter D.H.S. sent them in early September, in which the agency reiterated its initial claims about nearly 16,000 noncitizens on the rolls and pressured state officials to review each case in a letter to Nevada officials in early September.
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Center on Budget and Policy Priorities @centeronbudget.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The Trump Administration is attempting to use flawed Social Security Administration data to confirm voters’ citizenship status ahead of the upcoming federal election, risking the disenfranchisement of eligible voters: www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
cbpp.org
Trump Administration Doubles Down on Using Flawed Data to Restrict Voting Access
September 10, 2026: In September, the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling blocking the use of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Systematic Alien…
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 09/09/2026
As Social Security’s financing shortfall draws closer, the debate over how to shore up the program is turning to revenue. Our Good Life Residents are out with new research on how to modernize the program’s financing without reneging on FDR’s promise. 🧵
rooseveltinstitute.org
How to Fund Social Security with the Economy We Have
Three Roosevelt resident authors explain how to restore the wage base, reach income beyond payroll taxes, and close gaps that allow labor income to escape Social Security contributions.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
When you push out thousands of federal employees with no plan, things break. One of those things, apparently, is Social Security's critical role in supporting 9/11 victims who “are the sickest of the sick" or who died as a result of their Ground Zero exposures. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/u...
nytimes.com
After Causing Delays for 9/11 Health Claims, Social Security Pledges to Do Its Job
Lawyers say the Social Security Administration has for months not provided basic data to complete compensation claims for those sick and dying after exposure to debris from the Sept. 11 attacks.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Parents of college-bound kids should read this thread! There's a lot of fear-mongering about selectivity and cost, but most of that conversation is about a few dozen elite schools where most kids don't end up--or even consider (which IMHO is a great option for parents and kids alike; I lived it!)
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
As a native Michigander, I couldn't agree more with my colleague @katiebergh.bsky.social, who said: Seems appropriate that renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America would change the mnemonic device for remembering the names of the Great Lakes from HOMES to SHAME. 🤦‍♀️
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Reposted by Kathleen Romig
DC Public Library @dcpubliclibrary.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Discover how tax fights have shaped American democracy at Mt. Pleasant Library on 9/3 with local author Vanessa Williamson and Erica Miller of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Q and A and book signing to follow with free copies while supplies last! bit.ly/4wQLJbb
The image is a promotional flyer for "The Literary Village" event featuring Vanessa Williamson. It displays a book cover titled "The Price of Democracy" and a photo of a smiling person. The event occurs on Thursday, September 3, at 6:30 PM at Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St NW. The flyer includes logos for DC Public Library and MtP Village.
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Sharon Parrott @sharonparrott.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
The President’s threat of legal action against @amprog (CAP) marks another disturbing, anti-democratic effort to silence those with whom he disagrees. Our Constitution protects our right to engage in vigorous debate, debate that makes our nation stronger.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
This is a must-watch/listen/read!
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The idea that deep institutional damage can be easily rolled back seems like a very odd take for a conservative. The damage to the civil service system is huge, and legislation is needed to reassure future hires they won’t be fired on a whim.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New from me: More than a trillion dollars flow through the federal government in grants. We have more and more evidence that the Trump administration has been directing those grants on purely partisan grounds, denying them to blue states. 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/governing-...
donmoynihan.substack.com
Governing without Accountability
Trump only wants to be President of some of America, not all of America
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Mike Konczal @mtkonczal.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Come work with me! I'm hiring a Senior Director for my team. I want to push what a policy and research team can do, and this position will be at the forefront of tackling the big economic questions of the day. Consider applying or sharing. pod4.app.loxo.co/job/MzkzMzUt...
pod4.app.loxo.co
Economic Security Project - Senior Director of Policy and Research (USA)
View and Download Full Position ProfileAbout the OrganizationThe Economic Security Project (ESP)...
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taxgirl @taxgirl.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Senators want answers from Bisignano after reports of temporary disruptions to in-person service. SSA says those are caused by renovations and maintenance, not staffing. Still, the question remains: Can one executive effectively help run both SSA and IRS? www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
forbes.com
Senators Demand Answers On Social Security Office Closures
The inquiry into reported office closures puts renewed focus on Frank Bisignano’s management of Social Security and whether one executive can effectively run both the SSA and the IRS.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
New paper from my colleagues on the critical importance of SNAP for people with disabilities, now under threat due to historically deep cuts to SNAP and work requirement expansions. www.cbpp.org/research/foo...
cbpp.org
SNAP Provides Needed Food Assistance to Millions of People With Disabilities
There are over 70 million people in the United States with one or more disabilities.[2], [3] Many people with disabilities have greater expenses than people without disabilities,[4] making it harder.....
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Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Massive coverage loss in SNAP, and even more massive losses in Medicaid, will be among the *eligible*. Congress designed a dystopian set of administrative requirements that, by design, will make it practically impossible for eligible individuals to access coverage.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Starting this month, kids can get Trump Accounts. But for some families caring for disabled children — who will need savings most as they come of age — the accounts could create big problems. That's because of outdated SSI asset limits; Congress should raise them. www.cbpp.org/blog/outdate...
cbpp.org
Outdated SSI Asset Limits Pose Real Problem for Children With Disabilities Hoping to Benefit From Trump Accounts
Congress should raise SSI asset limits to prevent families from worrying that their efforts to save for their children’s futures will cost their children essential support from SSI and Medicaid as a r...
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
It's easy to criticize error rates in SSI . . . but damn near impossible for beneficiaries to stay up to date on a truly ridiculous set of reporting requirements. The bipartisan SSAB maps out a win/win agenda: easier reporting for beneficiaries, more accurate payments. www.ssab.gov/research/sup...
ssab.gov
Supplemental Security Income and Reporting Requirements | SSAB
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
It's easy to criticize error rates in SSI . . . but damn near impossible for beneficiaries to stay up to date on a truly ridiculous set of reporting requirements. The bipartisan SSAB maps out a win/win agenda: easier reporting for beneficiaries, more accurate payments. www.ssab.gov/research/sup...
ssab.gov
Supplemental Security Income and Reporting Requirements | SSAB
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
BREAKING WSJ: The Trump admin plans to end a subsidy program that helped hold down premiums for Medicare drug plans — a move that could leave many seniors facing higher rates for their prescription coverage next year.
wsj.com
Exclusive | Trump Administration to End Medicare Drug Plan Subsidy
Program that held down premiums won’t be renewed for 2027, resulting in higher costs for some seniors.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
I love transit & I love this idea! www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/n...
nytimes.com
A Newsstand That Aims to Delight N.Y.C. Subway Riders (Gift Article)
A comedian and his friends are transforming a vacant retail space at the West 4th Street station with freebies, art and puppet shows to make commutes more enjoyable.
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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I'm still very much looking forward to seeing The Odyssey, but this is a world-class one-liner. 😆
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Kudos to Senators Warren and Moreno for coming together to work on a serious bipartisan proposal, and for helping start a serious bipartisan conversation.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Senators Warren and Moreno themselves recognized the need to not just rely on taxing the very wealthiest. They rightly didn’t exempt earnings between the current cap and a new cap from Social Security taxes (i.e. their proposal has no “donut hole”).
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
But it’s also arguable that it could be more politically viable to raise taxes more broadly in the Social Security context, which could allow some of the revenue from the highest earners from raising the cap to be left for other purposes.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
There’s no question there are also other progressive taxes on capital income & corporations, which could help fund these kinds of investments.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Raising the wage cap all the way up the earnings scale and using it for Social Security solvency means that this revenue won’t be available for these other needs.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Critics have pointed out the opportunity costs that policymakers need to wrestle with, & they have a point. We have many needs - too many ppl can’t afford food, rent, and health care & we need to invest in bldg blocks of our economy like educ, science, & clean energy.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
While granting it was smaller, it seems worth highlighting there’s precedent for this approach: in 1994, policymakers eliminated the Medicare tax wage cap, which was once the same as Social Security’s.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
It is also sound policy, if supplemented with policies to limit tax avoidance by preventing the wealthy from shifting their earned income to lower-taxed sources.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Instead, some have criticized that it does not solve the entire solvency problem on its own. But it’s unlikely that any one policy change will be the full solution; getting more than halfway there would be a good start.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
One might expect fiscal hawks to welcome a serious proposal that could close more than half of Social Security’s financing gap while reducing the overall deficit.
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chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Senators Warren and Moreno recently proposed a plan to lift the Social Security wage cap to help avoid benefit cuts and reduce its financing gap. This is a serious bipartisan proposal and fixing Social Security will likely require bipartisan compromise. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Bernie Moreno and Elizabeth Warren: Our Plan to Save Social Security
To save the program, we need to eliminate the payroll tax cap.
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Farrell01 @farrell01.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The Social Security Administration has announced that their employees agency-wide will no longer have advance leave of any kind, sick or annual. They already took away working credit, which enabled employees to earn extra leave. @kathleenromig.bsky.social
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tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
NEW: In a stunning admission, the Trump administration admitted in court documents that it canceled billions in energy grants to states "based solely" on politics -- and whether that state was represented by Democrats and backed Harris in 2024. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
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Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
As states have raced to limit the massive new costs they will soon face under the law's cost shift, many eligible families are losing SNAP because they can’t navigate new bureaucratic obstacles & understaffed states can’t keep up with the added paperwork. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/u...
In November, no aid arrived. In December, a caseworker said to “hang in there” because renewals were months behind. In January, Ms. McDonald made 100 calls without reaching anyone, she said. In February, she discovered her case had been closed. She had submitted the wrong income statement, she later learned, and the state’s delays left her no time to fix it.

Four months into an appeal, Ms. McDonald, a cancer survivor who weighs 69 pounds, bustles to food banks, stretches ground turkey with oatmeal, and skips meals to feed three teenage boys. But grocery bills have left her behind on the rent, and she describes her worries as a mental tax, paid nightly on her pillow.
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Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
🚨NEW: In the 9 months after last year’s reconciliation law enacted unprecedented SNAP cuts, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by more than 4.5 million. Based on available data, we estimate that at least 1.5 million fewer kids are receiving SNAP. www.cbpp.org/research/foo...
Graphic showing the change in SNAP participation from July 2024 to April 2026. Between the reconciliation law's enactment in July 2025 and April 2026, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by more than 4.5 million.
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Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The NYT piece notes SNAP use doubled since the early 2000s to explain cuts. But SNAP take up was artificially low. In the 90s ~80% of the eligible received benefits. This dropped to 52% by 2002. Bush admin worked on it. We were back at ~90%. We're about to see take-up among the eligible plummet.
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davidasuper.bsky.social @davidasuper.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
My latest, with Cerin Lindgrensavage, on a little-known law signed by President Trump that makes it unlawful to pay the salaries of any OMB or agency official who implements funding cuts that the President proposed but Congress rejected. Alas, lots of that is happening. thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
Congress rejected some of Trump’s proposed budget cuts. OMB is making them anyway.
President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget are accused of violating the separation of powers by attempting to unilaterally withhold funds that Congress specifically appropriated.
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