Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s pick to the lead the Social Security Administration, faced tough questioning from Senate Democrats on Tuesday, with lawmakers asking whether he would ignore calls from Elon Musk and others in the administration to make changes that could destabilize a critical program for retirees.
In a roughly three-hour confirmation hearing, Mr. Bisignano, most recently at the helm of payments giant Fiserv, was grilled about his commitment to improving Social Security’s customer service and asked to commit to not privatize the program or cut benefits, which would require acts of Congress.
“I’ve never thought about privatizing,” Mr. Bisignano told Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, one of many Democrats who expressed concerns. “It’s not a word that anybody has ever talked to me about, and I don’t see this institution as anything other than a government agency that gets run for the benefit of the American public.”
He assured lawmakers that he would be in charge of the agency, and said he “will look at every item you want me to look at.”
“To me, the job is to analyze everything we do. I know there are a lot of stats out there. I am not in the department, but I have looked at the data it produces and I think there is a land of opportunity,” he added, in another exchange.
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee embraced Mr. Bisignano, calling out his experience operating payments processing companies, which they said would be ideal preparation for running the Social Security Administration. Mr. Bisignano portrayed himself as an “efficiency” expert and stressed that his experience eliminating fraud through technological solutions would be helpful in running the agency.
Mr. Bisignano’s confirmation hearing comes at a time of tumult for the agency, which plays a vital role in delivering retirement, survivor and disability payments to 73 million Americans each month.
Recent policy changes to the program under Mr. Trump have caused widespread concern among beneficiaries and employees that access to benefits could become more difficult. The agency typically evolves slowly, aware that missteps could potentially cut off cash to many retirees and disabled people whose rely on benefits for a large portion of their income.
But changes have come far more rapidly in the month or so since a team from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the Social Security Administration. The Trump administration has announced plans to cut 12 percent of the agency’s work force and more than 2,600 employees have committed to leaving so far.
The agency in recent weeks has also quickly, and sometimes clumsily, announced other policy changes that were met with criticism. One recent change would direct more beneficiaries from doing business over the phone to the agency’s website or field offices, at a time when staff is at a 50-year low and many workers are leaving.
Senator Bernard Sanders, the Vermont independent, repeatedly asked Mr. Bisignano about whether it was wise to lay off large numbers of workers at a time the agency was understaffed, until he got a direct answer.
“I think the answer is probably no,” Mr. Bisignano replied.
Mr. Bisignano, who described himself in an interview on CNBC as “fundamentally a DOGE person,” appeared to distance himself from the what’s been happening inside the Social Security Administration.
But that characterization was challenged at the hearing by Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, who produced a statement that he said was from a whistle-blower. Mr. Wyden, citing the letter, said that Mr. Bisignano had personally intervened to get key DOGE officials involved at the agency, including one who was approved in the middle of the night.
Mr. Bisignano said he has never spoken to Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner, but had talked to Mike Russo, the current chief information officer, whom he knows from the corporate world.
Mr. Bisignano has spent much of his career working for big financial institutions, including positions at Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. In 2017 he earned $100 million working at First Data Corporation, which was more than 2,000 times the average employee’s salary at the firm at the time; First Data later merged with Fiserv.
Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, said he’s concerned that Mr. Musk and his team have been “shooting first and aiming later,” and have far more control over federal agencies than the people running them. Mr. Bisignano tried to alleviate those concerns.“I think the president has made clear that DOGE is there for input,” Bisignano said.
Several senators also pressed Mr. Bisignano about the false claims that President Trump and Mr. Musk continue to repeat, including those that millions of dead people are collecting benefits.
Mr. Bisignano declined to contradict Elon Musk’s repeated assertions that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme.” When Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, asked him to respond “yes or no” to that statement, he said only: “It’s a promise to pay.”
Some Democrats questioned whether Mr. Bisignano’s past solutions in the corporate world, such as reliance on artificial intelligence for customer service, would be appropriate for Social Security beneficiaries, and Sen. Wyden started the hearing blasting Mr. Bisignano for overseeing the loss of thousands of workers at his private companies.
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee appeared united in their readiness to smooth his way to a vote of the full Senate. “You know how to deliver what we all want from Social Security, and we are all looking forward to moving forward expeditiously with your nomination,” Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho said at the conclusion of the hearing.
Employees inside Social Security have said they are hopeful the incoming commissioner will provide a sense of stability, but Democratic senators were less optimistic. “You recently said on CNBC that you are fundamentally a DOGE person,” said Senator Tina Smith, Democrat of Minnesota, “and I take you at your word.”
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