Pamela Kweller RSSA Staff

On December 20, 2023, Martin J. O’Malley was sworn in as the new Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

O’Malley replaces Kilolo Kijakazi, who was Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration since July 2021.

Prior to becoming Commissioner of SSA, O’Malley has served as Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore. He graduated from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and he earned his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Commissioner O’Malley said, “I am honored for the opportunity of a lifetime to lead Social Security’s outstanding public servants forward, together, in such an important mission to help the agency to deliver critical services to the American people.”

He also said, “For tens of millions of Americans across our country, Social Security is the difference between living with dignity or living in poverty.”

Overall, the Commissioner of the SSA plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth functioning of Social Security programs, managing the agency’s operations, and upholding the agency’s mission.

As Commissioner, O’Malley “will be responsible for administering the Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors insurance programs that pay over 1.4 trillion dollars annually in benefits to more than 66 million beneficiaries as well as the Supplemental Security Income program that provides cash assistance to approximately 7.5 million people with limited income and resources.”

Read the official press release here.

Photo by Jorge Alcala on Unsplash