Democrats opposed the career finance executive, who most recently served as president and CEO of Fiserv. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Senate confirms Bisignano to lead Social Security
In a party line vote, Senate Republicans elected to disregard a whistleblower’s allegation that Frank Bisignano had improper contact with the agency to facilitate DOGE operatives’ onboarding.
Updated at 4:10 p.m. ET
The Senate on Tuesday voted 53-47 along party lines to confirm financial services executive Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration, despite allegations that the nominee had lied during his confirmation hearing.
Democrats opposed the career finance executive, who most recently served as president and CEO of Fiserv, citing his reputation for slashing workforces in the private sector, as well as allegations that he had improper contact with SSA officials, most notably to facilitate the onboarding of DOGE operatives and to demand to be consulted before the agency made any hires. Bisignano denied those allegations during his hearing.
“I have never talked to Mr. Dudek,” Bisignano told senators in March. “I have talked with Mike Russo, and I said that to your staff when they asked me. I know Russo from when he was CIO of Shift 4 and when he was CIO at Oracle, and I know him for 20 years. I don’t know him as a DOGE person; I know him as a CIO.”
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, told supporters at a rally Monday that, setting aside the question of his truthfulness, Bisignano would not do enough to protect Americans’ private information from DOGE or other federal agencies.
“He is the wrong man for Social Security, because he is shortchanging, for example, the need for phone services at Social Security for the vulnerable,” Wyden said. “He’s wrong to be catering to DOGE as they sneak and skulk around trying to steal our data. His statements and actions are a prelude for privatizing Social Security, and we all are here to say no to privatizing Social Security.”
Despite the agency already sitting at a 50-year staffing low, the Trump administration has targeted SSA for a 7,000-person reduction in headcount, down to 50,000 by September, despite misleading protestations by Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek in the New York Post.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he has known Bisignano for decades and described appointing him to SSA as “putting the fox in the hen house.”
“I knew Frank when he was in New York, and he was known then, as he should be known now, as ‘Mr. Slash and Burn,’” Schumer said Monday. “When a company wanted to fire people mercilessly and squeeze to death anything that went on there, they hired Frank Bisignano. Can you imagine putting this man, with no experience with Social Security, who cuts the daylights out of any organization he becomes part of, as commissioner? Shame.”
In an email to SSA employees obtained by Government Executive, outgoing Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek thanked employees in light of Public Service Recognition Week and his impending withdrawal from the agency’s top job.
“This may be my final broadcast as your acting commissioner,” he wrote. “I congratulate you for your perseverance and zealous commitment to serving the American people. I thank you for the effort you exert on their behalf every day. And I encourage you to stand fast knowing that the job you do is critical to the well-being of millions of people.”
In a joint statement, Jessica LaPointe, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, and Rich Couture, president of AFGE Council 215, congratulated Bisignano on his confirmation, but warned the unions will fight "mismanagement" or the "dismantling" of Social Security.
"We support technology that allows for high-quality public service and creates more manageable workloads for employees," they said. "We also know that effective public service at SSA requires both technical knowledge and a great deal of compassion and human connection. We fundamentally oppose the dismantling of Social Security. We oppose systems interruptions driven by mismanagement. We strongly oppose the indiscriminate reduction of frontline and support staff in offices already underserving communities. We strongly oppose field office and hearing office closures and consolidations. We will strongly oppose replacing SSA workers with Artificial Intelligence. And we deeply oppose steps taken to weaken employees' rights and create untenable working conditions."