Maybe the anti-establishment winds have captured the attention of President Barack Obama.
The Senate Finance Committee was set to hold a hearing, Feb. 4, on President Obama’s nomination of Andrew Lamont Eanes for deputy commissioner of Social Security. This might not sound like a big deal because it’s only for deputy commissioner, but remember that the current deputy commissioner of Social Security is the actual Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn Colvin, who had to take the big chair after the previous commissioner left his post. The Senate never attempted to confirm Colvin as the new commissioner and now Colvin is set to retire. That means the new deputy commissioner will be the new commissioner.
It is considered just a formality that Eanes will be confirmed as the new deputy commissioner. Eanes has excelled as a businessman, but has no Social Security background whatsoever. This is not necessarily a bad thing as he can offer a fresh approach to problems, but not everyone agrees that a new boss should have less experience in Social Security matters than all of his 60,000 employees.
There is not a huge amount of information available about Eanes, but we do know that he has an M.B.A, is originally from Ohio and served in management roles at various telecommunications and technology companies.
Everyone deserves a chance to succeed at a new position and President Obama and his administration felt there was something in Eanes’ background that made him a good choice to succeed Colvin. One thing is for sure, Eanes is quickly learning how to address what many Americans see as perceived problems with Social Security. In an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer he said, “We need to expedite the applications, ensuring we’re always vigilant for fraudulent activity.” To learn more about Eanes click here.
