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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 11h

That's unhinged, Eric, and I love you for admitting it.

hot dogs > hamburgers

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 12h

The majority of SSI and SSDI applications are denied at the initial stage. The majority of those denials are reversed on appeal - a process that takes years.

SOAR trains attorneys to do the kind of initial applications for homeless disabled people that can win at the first stage

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 12h

The Trump Regime is killing SOAR

www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Access to the SOAR Works website ended August 18, 2025.

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 22h

New lawsuit alleging the Trump Admin used sensitive Social Security data “in secret, without the notice required by law and comment from the public or Congress, and without assessing the privacy implications or risks of error posed by repurposing the data in this way."

www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

A lawsuit tries to block the Trump administration's efforts to merge personal data

A class action lawsuit argues that the administration's efforts to combine databases of personal information on Americans violate privacy laws and the Constitution.

www.npr.org

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 4d

On the echoes of refrigerator mothers in MAHA policy: Tiffany Hammond @fidgetsandfries.bsky.social "sees the focus on Tylenol and vaccines not only as a way to blame moms, but as a way to distract from Trump’s cuts to the services and supports families like hers need."

19thnews.org/2025/10/refr...

This isn't the first time moms have been blamed for their kids' autism

One of the earliest theories of autism is centered on “refrigerator mothers.” Echoes of it can be found in plans to Make America Healthy Again.

19thnews.org

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities @centeronbudget.bsky.social · 1d

The Trump Admin abruptly ended federal support for SOAR, a program that helped disabled people experiencing homelessness access vital disability benefits. Congress should direct the Admin to restore this highly effective, low-cost support. www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Trump Administration Abruptly Cut Off Highly Effective Support for Disabled People Experiencing Homelessness | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Trump Administration abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective intervention that helps disabled people experiencing or at risk of homelessness access benefits to help them stabilize...

www.cbpp.org

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Social Security Works @socialsecurityworks.org · 1d

Another cost of the Trump shutdown:

"If the shutdown continues and more workers aren’t brought back within a month, the Social Security Administration’s work of calculating the percentage adjustment and notifying recipients of their benefit increases could be delayed."

Furloughs Could Delay Social Security’s Cost of Living Adjustments

Just one employee at the Bureau of Labor Statistics is left to put together the data needed for Social Security increases.

www.notus.org

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

The Trump Admin abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective program that prevents homelessness among disabled people, including veterans. This will mean more people living on the streets, unable to access housing, health care & other supports.

www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Trump Administration Abruptly Cut Off Highly Effective Support for Disabled People Experiencing Homelessness | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Trump Administration abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective intervention that helps disabled people experiencing or at risk of homelessness access benefits to help them stabilize...

www.cbpp.org

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

This unprecedented arrangement cries out for meaningful oversight to ensure that each agency adequately serves the public, conflicts of interest are resolved, and our most sensitive data are protected.

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

Reportedly DOGE is working on a “data lake” that uses sensitive data from IRS & SSA “to track and surveil undocumented immigrants.”

www.wired.com/story/doge-c...

DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants

DOGE is knitting together data from the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, an IRS that could create a surveillance tool of unprecedented scope.

www.wired.com

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

So why would the Trump
Admin put the same man in charge of both IRS & SSA?

We know that from the beginning they’ve been trying to bulldoze protections of the sensitive data that each agency holds. Early this year, acting heads of both SSA & Treasury were both pushed out over data access.

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

Running SSA & running IRS are two daunting jobs, each made more so by the harmful actions of the Trump Administration.

Both have lost a staggering number of staff this year because of DOGE cuts & are struggling to serve the public.

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

If the Trump Admin asked for the Senate’s advice & consent, would they really want the same person running the government’s biggest program AND overseeing the implementation of the extraordinarily complex new tax law?

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

Bisignano is being tasked with day-to-day IRS operations, a role normally performed by a Senate-confirmed commissioner. Treasury Secretary Bessent will technically serve in this role on an acting basis.

IRS “CEO” is a made-up job that bypasses the Senate confirmation process.

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

Alarming news this morning that Social Security head Frank Bisignano has been named “CEO” of IRS, a move that raises 3 major concerns:

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Bessent Picks Social Security Chief Frank Bisignano as IRS CEO

The Social Security head will do double duty at the tax agency while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent retains his formal title as acting IRS commissioner.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 2d

This paper provides more context: www.urban.org/research/pub...
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Updating Social Security Disability

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is preparing a proposed rule that could significantly reshape how disability eligibility is determined for two major…

www.urban.org

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 2d

The Wa Post has issued an important story on an upcoming major SSA disability regulation that would especially affect older disabled workers: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
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Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans

Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 2d

It’s a great tip! Libraries have so much more than most people realize

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you! I ❤️ libraries. But this one worked as a gift link, right?

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 2d

The Trump administration is preparing a plan that will make it harder for older Americans to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, in what is likely to be the largest cut to disability insurance ever.

wapo.st/4qa8yoq

Trump plan will limit disability benefits for older Americans

Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.

wapo.st

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 3d

Seems pretty clear to me!

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

TFW your kid is going on a field trip and you get message saying "military presence is subdued downtown today."

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 4d

In honor of Taylor's new album, Russ Vought is in his "Look What You Made Me Do" phase of the shutdown.
He's making decisions he’s always wanted to make & blaming Democrats for forcing him to make them. It’s just as unpopular as DOGE was; the public is smart enough to see (and abhor) Mafia tactics.

The ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Phase of the Shutdown

Russ Vought has no authority during the shutdown to implement DOGE 2.0 to extract political pain from Democrats. In fact, he’s admitted that outright.

prospect.org

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 4d

On Lawfare Daily, @mollyereynolds.bsky.social spoke to @nicholasbednar.bsky.social and Sam Berger about how the Trump administration is using this government shutdown to pursue RIFs and how to think about the shutdown in the broader context of the Trump administration’s exercise of executive power.

Lawfare Daily: The Law of the Shutdown

YouTube video by Lawfare

youtu.be

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Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 5d

Flatly untrue:
*No legal requirement to cut programs/employees under shutdowns. Never happened before.
*In Feb, Vought told agencies to prioritize firing employees deemed non-essential during shutdown to enable DOGE mass firings that occurred before the shutdown.
www.opm.gov/chcoc/latest...

Agency heads should collaborate with their Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) team leads within the agency in developing competitive areas for ARRPs. In addition, the agency should specifically identify competitive areas that include positions not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations. When making this determination, agencies should refer to the functions that are excepted from the Antideficiency Act (ADA) in the Agency Contingency Plans submitted to OMB in 2019 as the starting point for making this determination.

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