Rep. Foushee Introduces RECON Act to Cut Social Security Red Tape

WASHINGTON, DC (April 24, 2026) - This week, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) introduced the Respecting Every Claimant's appeal Options Now (RECON) Act to eliminate the mandatory reconsideration review process for Social Security disability claims, cutting bureaucratic red tape and allowing claimants the option to proceed directly to a hearing after an initial decision, speeding up access to the benefits they have earned.

"The current review process for Social Security disability claims fails the people it was designed to protect. Far too many applicants advancing through the reconsideration and appeal process are forced to wait for months before a response-Congress must take immediate action to reduce these atrocious wait times and ensure Americans can receive their benefits," said Congresswoman Foushee. "Delays in the mandatory reconsideration process means even more uncertainty for people who are already in crisis. This is a matter of life or death for many, which is why I am introducing this legislation that will take important first steps to address these gaps in administering Social Security benefits."

Under current Social Security Administration protocol, when someone is initially denied disability benefits, they cannot appeal and request a hearing before a judge. Instead, they must first complete mandatory reconsideration, a built-in delay that sits at the heart of this problem. After an initial denial, claimants are forced back into a process that already has a backlog of 830,000 pending applications. Mandatory reconsideration can add a redundant step that delays access to the forum where claimants have a genuine opportunity to be heard: a hearing before an administrative law judge.

According to an analysis conducted by USAFacts, wait times for an initial social security disability decision have surged 86% since 2019, from four months to over seven months. For those who are denied and choose to appeal, the situation is worse. The median time to reach a final decision has stretched to 839 days, roughly two years and three months.

Based on 2020 report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, nearly 8,000 applicants file for bankruptcy and 10,000 die each year while awaiting a decision on their disability benefit application. In September 2022, the Social Security Administration itself called these wait times "unacceptable" and acknowledged they "cause significant financial hardship for the most vulnerable people."

The RECON Act removes this mandatory reconsideration barrier and gives claimants more direct access to a hearing before a judge. This legislation would empower claimants to bypass the mandatory reconsideration step and request that their case move directly to an administrative hearing.

The RECON Act is endorsed by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives.

"This legislation improves an overburdened and too-slow Social Security claims process, allowing claimants to control how quickly they can present their case to a judge," said David Camp, Senior Policy Advisor for the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR).

"Empowering claimants with the option to skip a year of unnecessary delay on a disability claim is a compelling improvement for vulnerable Americans enduring a process that can last years. This will save lives," said Rick Fleming of North Carolina, a Past President of NOSSCR.

North Carolina attorney and NOSSCR Treasurer Ashley Sappenfield said, "we enthusiastically endorse this effort to improve the due process options for disabled claimants."

The full bill text of the Respecting Every Claimant's appeal Options Now Act is available here.