O’Malley, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, was approved by a vote of 50 to 11. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in voting for O’Malley as the agency’s commissioner after he earned a reputation as a technocrat, in part, by focusing on measuring government performance.
The former Baltimore mayor describes his plans to revitalize an agency plagued by understaffing, low morale and poor customer service.
Former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, seen at an Iowa town hall during his bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, was confirmed by the Senate on Monday to head the Social Security Administration. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
December 18, 2023 at 6:36 p.m. EST
The Senate on Monday confirmed former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley to lead the Social Security Administration as the agency faces looming questions about its long-term solvency, systemic dysfunction and ability to handle day-to-day customer service requests.
“Governor Martin O’Malley is the strong operational leader that the Social Security Administration needs right now,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said in a speech on the Senate floor Monday. Referring to O’Malley’s time as mayor and governor, Cardin added, “He held his team accountable and the results were incredible.”
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A class of administrative law judges hired to help reduce case backlogs at the Social Security Administration is unfairly being denied collective bargaining rights enjoyed by their colleagues at the agency, according to a union seeking to represent them.