MW Trump's pick for Social Security commissioner confirmed in a tight vote amid growing backlash

By Alessandra Malito

Frank Bisignano takes on the role as major changes roil the agency

Financial-services executive Frank Bisignano was confirmed as the next commissioner of the Social Security Administration on Tuesday after a Senate vote of 53 to 47 - a tight decision made after a vigorous attempt by critics to keep him out of the agency.

The Social Security Administration, or SSA, has had a tumultuous few months as the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, restructured the agency, making sweeping changes in what it said was an effort to root out waste, fraud and abuse.

In the last few months, the SSA, under the lead of acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, announced its intent to reduce its workforce by 12%, as well as shutter departments, increase overpayment-clawback rates and incorporate new antifraud measures.

"With Bisignano's increased power as a confirmed commissioner, he will accelerate the destruction of our Social Security system," Nancy Altman, president of advocacy group Social Security Works, said in a statement. "One ray of hope is that the DOGE henchmen running Social Security have reversed course on some of the biggest cuts in the face of massive public outrage. They know how popular Social Security is with voters of all parties."

See: Social Security rule reversals, office closures, cost cuts: Here's what's happening now

The Senate's vote comes a day after Democratic legislators, union leaders and Social Security beneficiaries united against Bisignano's confirmation. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said during a floor speech on Monday that Bisignano would let President Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk "keep slashing services and threatening benefits."

"That will hurt people everywhere - from seniors who count on their monthly checks right now, to the parents of kids with a disability supported by Social Security, to every American paying into the program now for later down the line," she said Monday.

Social Security Works, Warren and other critics also joined together for a rally on Monday urging the Senate to vote against Bisignano's confirmation. Rally attendees included Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, as well as former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley and fellow supporters and beneficiaries of the program.

"We have to put the brakes on Elon Musk and Donald Trump trying to wreck its reputation and wreck its customer service so then they can rob it," O'Malley said during the event. "Too many Americans depend on it. They've earned it."

The backlash against Bisignano has grown stronger since his confirmation hearing in March, when senators questioned if he would close field offices in their states and what his strategy was for the technology within the agency. During the hearing, Sen. Wyden brought up a whistleblower's claims that Bisignano was already involved with DOGE's actions at the SSA, including hiring key personnel, but the tech executive denied it. Days later, Wyden urged his colleagues to pause consideration of Bisignano's confirmation so an investigation into the whistleblower claims could take place.

Senators in support of Bisignano said during his hearing that they thought he would be good for the agency. "I can't imagine them finding a more qualified individual for this position," Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said at the time.

It is not the first close call the Senate has had in its confirmation votes lately. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services with a vote of 52-48 in February, while Mehmet Oz, known on television as Dr. Oz, was voted in as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by a final tally of 53-45 in April. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the other hand, was unanimously confirmed in January.

Bisignano was most recently the chief executive officer of FiServ Inc. $(FI)$, a financial-technology company with a focus on payment processing. He also held top positions at Citigroup Inc. (C) during the Sept. 11 attacks and then at JPMorgan Chase & Co. $(JPM)$ following the 2008 financial crisis, where he was known as "Mr. Fix-It" for being able to solve complex corporate problems.

Bisignano said he would bring his technology expertise to the Social Security Administration to reduce payment mistakes and build around an archaic technological infrastructure. During his confirmation hearing, he said the less-than-1% error rate in benefit payments was still too high, and should be "five decimal places" smaller.

"I think I'm the first commissioner that's actually been a technologist and operator, understands payments, has run call centers, has done settlements, understood how to deal in crises," Bisignano said during his hearing. "I come with a depth of experience and how to make systems work for the people inside the agency and for our users."

-Alessandra Malito

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May 06, 2025 16:42 ET (20:42 GMT)

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