SBA’s inspector general will serve double duty in acting Social Security role

The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General announced Monday that President Biden has appointed Hannibal “Mike” Ware to lead the office on an acting basis, though he will also continue to perform his duties as inspector general overseeing the Small Business Administration.

The Social Security Administration has been without a leader of its watchdog office since June, when then-Inspector General Gail Ennis resigned under a barrage of criticism for her office’s handling of the agency’s improper payments scandal, as well as allegedly fostering a dysfunctional workplace culture, evidenced by a precipitous decline in the office’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey scores and an ongoing legal battle between employees within the office.

In a release announcing Ware’s appointment, the Social Security Administration’s inspector general’s office confirmed that Ware would continue to lead SBA’s oversight office, “providing leadership to both agencies until a permanent SSA inspector general is appointed.”

“I am honored to have the confidence of the president to provide interim leadership within SSA OIG and to simultaneously continue my commitment to the mission of SBA OIG,” Ware said in a statement. “This dual role underscores the importance of strong, independent oversight across federal programs to ensure they operate effectively and with integrity. I am committed to keeping the heads of both establishments and Congress fully and currently informed of the oversight activities and findings.”

Prior to the workplace allegations, Ennis had already drawn fire from members of Congress for her oversight of the Social Security Disability Insurance program and the effort to claw back benefits from Americans who were overpaid through no fault of their own.

Since Martin O’Malley was confirmed as commissioner of the Social Security Administration last December, the agency has issued a number of changes aimed at both finding improper payments more quickly and to make efforts to rectify disability overpayments less painful for a financial vulnerable population, such as capping the default rate at which the agency claws back overpayments at 10% benefits on a monthly basis.

Though Ware stressed that his time at SSA would only be on an interim basis, Biden has yet to nominate a permanent replacement for the Senate’s consideration. According to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, an acting official may serve for up to 210 days, backdated to the start of the position’s vacancy. In Ware’s case, his eligibility to serve in this acting role will expire on Jan. 24, just in time for Vice President Harris or former President Trump to select their own inspector general.