President Donald Trump has pledged to protect and preserve Social Security, and I am honored to lead the agency as Commissioner at such a pivotal moment. My vision is straightforward: a Social Security Administration that is easier to access, faster to respond, and better prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. That vision is rooted in our commitment to public service and grounded in the belief that government can and should work for everyone.
Since taking office, I have focused on modernizing operations; investing in our workforce; eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse; and improving how we serve the public, whether online, over the phone, or in person.
Social Security is not a program of the past; it is a promise to future generations.
We have expanded our digital tools to provide more services from the convenience of people’s homes. We have taken steps to reduce wait times, enhance security, and make it easier to navigate our programs. All the while ensuring we pay benefits accurately to those who are eligible to receive them.
We have also added support and removed roadblocks for our frontline employees with updated tools, technology, and processes, so they can deliver efficient, accurate, and compassionate service to the American people every day.
In my first 100 days as Commissioner, SSA has made significant progress, improving customer experience: reducing the average wait time on the national 800 number from 30 minutes last year to single digits last month; implementing new phone systems to enable 90% of calls to be handled via self-service or convenient callbacks; shortening field office wait times by 30%; eliminating 29 hours of weekly downtime for my Social Security to allow 24/7 online management of benefits; decreasing Disability hearing wait times by 60 days, reaching historic lows; and, sending over 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion to eligible beneficiaries five months ahead of schedule under the Social Security Fairness Act.
We have a clear path to achieving operational excellence and providing best-in-class service. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have charted a new course that strengthens service delivery and secures the integrity and efficiency of our systems. We are modernizing the underlying infrastructure that supports our work so that the agency is not only keeping up with the pace of change but leading the way in service innovation.
As we celebrate this 90th anniversary, we must also keep our eyes firmly on the future. Social Security is not a program of the past; it is a promise to future generations.
Young Americans entering the workforce today deserve the same sense of security their parents and grandparents had. Maintaining that trust will require thoughtful innovation and a shared commitment to protecting the integrity and solvency of the program.
As we look to the century ahead, President Trump remains committed to ensuring that Social Security is as strong, effective, and enduring for our children and grandchildren as it has been for the generations before them.