In advance of the hearing, Grassley will host a news conference with the sponsor of Senate bill S.1166 ? Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado ? and key witnesses who will testify at the hearing, including motion picture and television actress Angie Dickinson.
"Whether its Social Security, Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service, my bill will require them all to follow court rulings, not make their own interpretations of the law," Campbell said. "These federal agencies must be forced to uphold the law just like everyone else in this country is expected to do."
Angie Dickinson has championed the Federal Agency Compliance Act "on behalf of America's blue and white collar workers who become disabled through an accident or illness and are not able to work." The actress who played Sgt. Pepper Anderson in the popular television series "Police Woman" has publicly expressed concern about the welfare of these disabled people and sought to ensure a commitment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide disability benefits.
Also joining Grassley and Campbell at the news conference will be James F. Allsup of Belleville, Illinois. He is the founder, president and CEO of the first private, nationwide Social Security disability representational service. Since 1984, he has helped more than 25,000 Americans receive disability claims. Allsup previously was employed as a claims and field representative for the SSA.
In addition, Lynn Conforti of Denver, Colorado, will participate in the news conference. In her remarks and later testimony she will describe her disability as diagnosed by a surgeon and treating physician, which prevents her from working. The SSA has denied her claim for disability benefits.
John Bowman, a disability lawyer from Davenport, Iowa, and Arthur Fried, General Counsel for the SSA, also will testify at the hearing. A complete witness list for the Monday hearing will be released later this week.
Passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Federal Agency Compliance Act would require the SSA and all federal agencies to follow established law and precedent of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, instead of their own agency policies. The bill was introduced in response to an order issued by the SSA early last year. The agency told its administrative law judges, who rule on claims for benefits, that they could face remedial training and disciplinary action if they did not follow the agency's policies or if their productivity was too low.
In effect, this decision means that some people who file for disability payments will be less likely to obtain benefits because the agency policies are often more stringent than the court decisions.
Rep. George W. Gekas of Pennsylvania introduced the bill approved by the House. Sen. Rod Grams of Minnesota is the lead sponsor of the Senate proposal introduced by Campbell. Grassley is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.