Kathleen Romig
@kathleenromig.bsky.social
📊 Director of Social Security and Disability Policy at @centeronbudget
🏛️ Proud former fed: SSA, CRS, OMB, SSAB
🏛️ Proud former fed: SSA, CRS, OMB, SSAB
Savoring this update on a battle that we worked so hard to win. It means dignity—not destitution—for up to 1.5 million older workers who become disabled & for their families, too.
Keep hoping, keep fighting, and celebrate every victory. 🎉
www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...
Keep hoping, keep fighting, and celebrate every victory. 🎉
www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Savoring this update on a battle that we worked so hard to win. It means dignity—not destitution—for up to 1.5 million older workers who become disabled & for their families, too.
Keep hoping, keep fighting, and celebrate every victory. 🎉
www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...
Keep hoping, keep fighting, and celebrate every victory. 🎉
www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...
A Trump appointee probes sensitive mortgage docs & refers critics for criminal prosecution.
When the FHFA IG hands over docs related to the case, he's fired.
When Fannie Mae watchdogs investigate, they're removed too.
It's just the latest Admin attack on oversight. 🧵
www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
When the FHFA IG hands over docs related to the case, he's fired.
When Fannie Mae watchdogs investigate, they're removed too.
It's just the latest Admin attack on oversight. 🧵
www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
November 13, 2025 at 7:52 PM
A Trump appointee probes sensitive mortgage docs & refers critics for criminal prosecution.
When the FHFA IG hands over docs related to the case, he's fired.
When Fannie Mae watchdogs investigate, they're removed too.
It's just the latest Admin attack on oversight. 🧵
www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
When the FHFA IG hands over docs related to the case, he's fired.
When Fannie Mae watchdogs investigate, they're removed too.
It's just the latest Admin attack on oversight. 🧵
www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
On All Saints/Souls weekend, I’m thinking of the late Bea Sacks.
I met Bea when I was 18 & she was nearly 80. Despite our age difference, we were kindred spirits & our friendship changed my life. I still think of her with great fondness. ❤️
I met Bea when I was 18 & she was nearly 80. Despite our age difference, we were kindred spirits & our friendship changed my life. I still think of her with great fondness. ❤️
November 2, 2025 at 6:09 PM
On All Saints/Souls weekend, I’m thinking of the late Bea Sacks.
I met Bea when I was 18 & she was nearly 80. Despite our age difference, we were kindred spirits & our friendship changed my life. I still think of her with great fondness. ❤️
I met Bea when I was 18 & she was nearly 80. Despite our age difference, we were kindred spirits & our friendship changed my life. I still think of her with great fondness. ❤️
Veterans & families at No Kings DC
October 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Veterans & families at No Kings DC
Inflatables have migrated from Portland to No Kings DC
October 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Inflatables have migrated from Portland to No Kings DC
Faith community showed up at No Kings DC
October 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Faith community showed up at No Kings DC
Great afternoon at No Kings DC! Here’s a thread of some favorite signs, costumes, and images.
October 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Great afternoon at No Kings DC! Here’s a thread of some favorite signs, costumes, and images.
I made this cake in 2013 when I was furloughed. My family asked me to bake another one, but I gotta go to work…so does my federal employee husband, though we won’t be getting his paycheck.
So consider this a PSA: tons of feds are going to work for free today. Be extra nice!
So consider this a PSA: tons of feds are going to work for free today. Be extra nice!
October 1, 2025 at 12:16 PM
I made this cake in 2013 when I was furloughed. My family asked me to bake another one, but I gotta go to work…so does my federal employee husband, though we won’t be getting his paycheck.
So consider this a PSA: tons of feds are going to work for free today. Be extra nice!
So consider this a PSA: tons of feds are going to work for free today. Be extra nice!
The DC city council just voted the rename this bridge for Judy Heumann, pictured here with my dear son. She was such an incredible mentor to so many in the disability community. We miss her! 🥰
September 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The DC city council just voted the rename this bridge for Judy Heumann, pictured here with my dear son. She was such an incredible mentor to so many in the disability community. We miss her! 🥰
3. The initial disability backlog reached its peak in the COVID era. There was a ton of turnover in the DDSs, but SSA staffed up and trained up in 2023-4 and those efforts started to bear fruit over a year ago--and this is the trend the Trump Admin is riding.
September 12, 2025 at 8:46 PM
3. The initial disability backlog reached its peak in the COVID era. There was a ton of turnover in the DDSs, but SSA staffed up and trained up in 2023-4 and those efforts started to bear fruit over a year ago--and this is the trend the Trump Admin is riding.
The Administration’s ill-considered SSA staffing cuts are one of the clearest examples of its mismanagement of the agency.
The Administration’s SSA budget documents for 2026 detail the breadth and depth of these reductions.
The Administration’s SSA budget documents for 2026 detail the breadth and depth of these reductions.
September 11, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Administration’s ill-considered SSA staffing cuts are one of the clearest examples of its mismanagement of the agency.
The Administration’s SSA budget documents for 2026 detail the breadth and depth of these reductions.
The Administration’s SSA budget documents for 2026 detail the breadth and depth of these reductions.
SSI lifted millions from poverty last year. The Trump Administration plans to cut it next year, harming nearly 400K low-income disabled and older people.
www.cbpp.org/blog/analyzi...
www.cbpp.org/blog/analyzi...
September 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
SSI lifted millions from poverty last year. The Trump Administration plans to cut it next year, harming nearly 400K low-income disabled and older people.
www.cbpp.org/blog/analyzi...
www.cbpp.org/blog/analyzi...
I'm mom to a (lovely) autistic child & so tired of this unscientific, mother-blaming rhetoric.
Evidence shows Tylenol doesn't cause autism (& vaccines don't, either).
People have blamed autism on moms' choices for nearly 100 yrs, making their challenges even harder.
www.npr.org/2016/09/09/4...
Evidence shows Tylenol doesn't cause autism (& vaccines don't, either).
People have blamed autism on moms' choices for nearly 100 yrs, making their challenges even harder.
www.npr.org/2016/09/09/4...
September 5, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I'm mom to a (lovely) autistic child & so tired of this unscientific, mother-blaming rhetoric.
Evidence shows Tylenol doesn't cause autism (& vaccines don't, either).
People have blamed autism on moms' choices for nearly 100 yrs, making their challenges even harder.
www.npr.org/2016/09/09/4...
Evidence shows Tylenol doesn't cause autism (& vaccines don't, either).
People have blamed autism on moms' choices for nearly 100 yrs, making their challenges even harder.
www.npr.org/2016/09/09/4...
Another day, another highly misleading email from the Social Security Administration sent to 10s of millions.
But the Trump Administration can’t fool the American people. In fact, they’re making things worse, at SSA & across government.
But the Trump Administration can’t fool the American people. In fact, they’re making things worse, at SSA & across government.
August 15, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Another day, another highly misleading email from the Social Security Administration sent to 10s of millions.
But the Trump Administration can’t fool the American people. In fact, they’re making things worse, at SSA & across government.
But the Trump Administration can’t fool the American people. In fact, they’re making things worse, at SSA & across government.
Trump & Bisignano claimed that callers to SSA's 800 number are getting through in minutes, even though their own statistics show that it takes most callers over 2 hours to speak to an agent. www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
August 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Trump & Bisignano claimed that callers to SSA's 800 number are getting through in minutes, even though their own statistics show that it takes most callers over 2 hours to speak to an agent. www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
SSA’s restrictions on phone service under Trump will force a total of 5.3 million additional in-person trips per year — a 17 percent increase over last year’s visits, necessitating 3M more hours on the road.
July 29, 2025 at 5:37 PM
SSA’s restrictions on phone service under Trump will force a total of 5.3 million additional in-person trips per year — a 17 percent increase over last year’s visits, necessitating 3M more hours on the road.
What we do know does not inspire confidence in SSA's performance or transparency.
Yesterday's release trumpets an avg speed of answer on SSA's 800 number of just 6 min. Sounds good!
But SSA's own stats show 1/2 of callers wait 2+ hours & 1/4 wait 2.5+ hours.
www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
Yesterday's release trumpets an avg speed of answer on SSA's 800 number of just 6 min. Sounds good!
But SSA's own stats show 1/2 of callers wait 2+ hours & 1/4 wait 2.5+ hours.
www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
July 24, 2025 at 12:35 PM
What we do know does not inspire confidence in SSA's performance or transparency.
Yesterday's release trumpets an avg speed of answer on SSA's 800 number of just 6 min. Sounds good!
But SSA's own stats show 1/2 of callers wait 2+ hours & 1/4 wait 2.5+ hours.
www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
Yesterday's release trumpets an avg speed of answer on SSA's 800 number of just 6 min. Sounds good!
But SSA's own stats show 1/2 of callers wait 2+ hours & 1/4 wait 2.5+ hours.
www.ssa.gov/ssa-performa...
In addition to being partisan, SSA's press releases are also often highly misleading. The agency recently sent out a release to 10s of millions of Americans that made deceptive claims about the "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
July 24, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In addition to being partisan, SSA's press releases are also often highly misleading. The agency recently sent out a release to 10s of millions of Americans that made deceptive claims about the "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
SSA's press shop, previously staffed by nonpartisan career officials, started to refer reporter Qs directly to the White House.
Again, their responses were highly partisan. Here's one ex, after the Trump Admin weaponized SSA against Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-...
Again, their responses were highly partisan. Here's one ex, after the Trump Admin weaponized SSA against Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-...
July 24, 2025 at 12:05 PM
SSA's press shop, previously staffed by nonpartisan career officials, started to refer reporter Qs directly to the White House.
Again, their responses were highly partisan. Here's one ex, after the Trump Admin weaponized SSA against Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-...
Again, their responses were highly partisan. Here's one ex, after the Trump Admin weaponized SSA against Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-...
Within days, Social Security's official X account started posting highly partisan tweets like "Former President Joe Biden is lying to Americans."
July 24, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Within days, Social Security's official X account started posting highly partisan tweets like "Former President Joe Biden is lying to Americans."
It says SSA is "optimizing technology" so 90% of calls are handled by automated self-service options or callers choose to get a call back.
Let's take automation first . . . it's been widely reported that SSA's AI bots are far from "optimized."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Let's take automation first . . . it's been widely reported that SSA's AI bots are far from "optimized."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
July 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
It says SSA is "optimizing technology" so 90% of calls are handled by automated self-service options or callers choose to get a call back.
Let's take automation first . . . it's been widely reported that SSA's AI bots are far from "optimized."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Let's take automation first . . . it's been widely reported that SSA's AI bots are far from "optimized."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
This was fun! Some of them I wish I hadn’t seen though 😆
July 5, 2025 at 7:16 PM
This was fun! Some of them I wish I hadn’t seen though 😆
Yesterday the Social Security Administration sent a highly misleading & political press release about the tax bill to my work account, where I'd signed up for SSA updates.
Then overnight I got it again, this time to my personal account. And I heard from lots of others who did, too. 🧵
Then overnight I got it again, this time to my personal account. And I heard from lots of others who did, too. 🧵
July 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Yesterday the Social Security Administration sent a highly misleading & political press release about the tax bill to my work account, where I'd signed up for SSA updates.
Then overnight I got it again, this time to my personal account. And I heard from lots of others who did, too. 🧵
Then overnight I got it again, this time to my personal account. And I heard from lots of others who did, too. 🧵
The Trump Administration “resurrected”
the thousands of immigrants it falsely declared dead, only to force the same disastrous consequences on them by invalidating their Social Security numbers…and they have plans to do this to hundreds of thousands more.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...
the thousands of immigrants it falsely declared dead, only to force the same disastrous consequences on them by invalidating their Social Security numbers…and they have plans to do this to hundreds of thousands more.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...
July 2, 2025 at 1:23 AM
The Trump Administration “resurrected”
the thousands of immigrants it falsely declared dead, only to force the same disastrous consequences on them by invalidating their Social Security numbers…and they have plans to do this to hundreds of thousands more.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...
the thousands of immigrants it falsely declared dead, only to force the same disastrous consequences on them by invalidating their Social Security numbers…and they have plans to do this to hundreds of thousands more.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...