Social Security Chief Nominated
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WASHINGTON — President Clinton nominated one of his top budget experts, Kenneth S. Apfel, to lead the Social Security Administration.
Apfel has served since 1995 in the White House Office of Management and Budget as director of human resources. His responsibilities have included reviewing for the president the budgets, policy and management of numerous federal social programs including Social Security.
During Clinton’s first term, Apfel, 48, was chief financial officer of the Department of Health and Human Services. For part of that time, Social Security was run by HHS. It was made an independent agency in 1995.
His predecessor, Shirley S. Chater, resigned Jan. 31 after serving as Social Security commissioner in Clinton’s first term. She had been sharply criticized by lawmakers for contending that the federal retirement program faces no immediate financial crisis and for not laying out proposals for assuring its long-term viability.
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