Finkenauer praises Borowski for the Decorah mayor's role in keeping open Decorah's Social Security office

The Social Security Administration has cancelled its plan to close the Decorah Social Security office--and Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer says much of the credit for bringing about that change of mind belongs to Decorah Mayor Lorraine Borowski.

The two women met Tuesday morning at the Decorah Social Security office for a tour of the office and a meeting with Social Security Administration officials.  Afterward, Finkenauer called the mayor "a heck of an advocate," adding, "the mayor proactively reached out and contacted us."

Social Security Administration officials say the Decorah office serves 350 to 400 people in a typical month.  The office is open from 9:00 a.m. until noon weekdays for face-to-face contacts, then reopens in the afternoon to handle claims.

Finkenauer told Social Security officials that when she visited Fayette on Monday, officials there told her how pleased they were when they heard the Decorah Social Security office wasn't closing.  She called the Decorah office "incredibly important to a lot of people."

Finkenauer says "one of my top priorities is to protect Social Security."  She learned Tuesday that the staff continuation in Decorah will come because a Waterloo employee will be reassigned and that position in Waterloo will not be filled.  She says while she's happy to have heard the Decorah office won't be closed, she will now look into the staff reduction in Waterloo.