WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement following the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision – and reversal – to end two contracts for people in Maine.

The first contract allows parents to request a Social Security number before leaving the hospital and the second contract shares recorded deaths with Social Security:

"Adding costly, time-consuming steps to the Social Security number registration process right after the birth of an infant is not efficient and creates an additional burden for sleep-deprived new parents. Where there are smart, thoughtful ways to make adjustments to existing processes, let’s consider them. But that means carefully cutting steps and costs instead of adding tasks and expenses.

"While I’m glad that the Social Security Administration has changed course, this rapid reversal has raised concerns among Maine people and left many unanswered questions about the Social Security Administration’s motivations. Senator Collins and I have asked the Social Security Administration to provide a briefing next week to explain why this decision was made at the start. Maine deserves an explanation; barring that, we deserve a government that understands the value of measuring twice, before cutting once."

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