SCOTUS Reaffirms President Biden’s Power to Remove Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul

“Even before the Supreme Court announced its decision today, it was clear that President Biden has the power to fire the Commissioner of Social Security, Andrew Saul. It’s long past time for the president to use that power. Biden should have fired Saul on January 20th, citing the 2019 Seila Law case as his power to do so. But for any Biden advisors who are still hesitating about the constitutionality of removing Saul, today’s case should put those doubts to rest.

Today’s case directly concerned Biden’s ability to remove Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which (as Justice Elena Kagan pointed out) has a similar leadership structure to the Social Security Administration. The Supreme Court ruled that Biden had the authority to fire Calabria, and the White House promptly did so, stating that ‘the President is moving forward today to replace the current Director with an appointee who reflects the Administration’s values’.

Like Calabria, Saul is acting in opposition to the Biden administration’s stated values. Biden ran on a platform of protecting and expanding Social Security. He needs a Social Security Commissioner who will support that goal, not undermine it. Powerful members of Congress have called for the removal of this union-busting, anti-Social Security Trump crony. The Biden administration should protect the American people’s earned benefits by removing Saul from office immediately.”

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