Quotes
I am very pleased to nominate Frank Bisignano to serve as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Frank is a business leader, with a tremendous track record of transforming large corporations. He will be responsible to deliver on the Agency's commitment to the American People for generations to come!"
Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social in December
President Trump's nominee to head the Social Security Administration Frank Bisignano seems like a perfect candidate for what this administration has been pushing in terms of efficiency. He's worked with a number of prior businesses in helping operations to run more efficiently and be cost-effective in their approach to new and existing endeavors."
Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told NewsweekHe is, and has been, a very successful and wealthy CEO of a number of payment companies. Leading the profitable success of these businesses though is not the same as being in charge of the SSA. Over 50 percent of beneficiaries rely on their monthly checks for the majority of their retirement income. I have not seen any past experience or interest by Bisignano in any type of social insurance programs."
Martha Shedden, president and cofounder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts, told Newsweek
He handpicked DOGE agents and pressured Social Security employees to cut corners,
Wyden saidThe changes could be devastating. If you're forcing elderly applicants to either go online or visit an office, which might be closed or hours away, that's a huge problem,
Thompson saidI actually think Frank Bisignano has a solid chance of being appointed. A lot of Trump's picks in the past made it through, even when people initially thought they had no shot."
Kevin Thompson, finance expert and founder/CEO of 9i Capital told NewsweekThat kind of rhetoric makes people nervous, especially when the person in question could soon oversee the SSA,
Thompson said
What they're doing is in effect a benefit cut,
Schumer saidThis administration is intent on slashing Social Security,
Schumer said WednesdayHowever, some past comments made by Bisignano have led to the belief he may want to privatize parts of the administration, beliefs he has dismissed. While we're certainly anticipating cuts to the administration, those cuts should primarily be in the form of workforce and services. Any cuts to benefits would be a true surprise, as both sides of the aisle look at cutting Social Security benefits as equivalent to political suicide in terms of reelection chances."
He addedWell, I think I understand he means that there’s fewer and fewer people working and supporting more and more people, and it’s unsustainable. I happen to agree with that.”
Asked about Musk’s remark that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,
I believe that they’re going to do the right things,
he saidFewer people will get benefits because of what they’ve done. This is another way of killing Social Security, plain and simple,
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters TuesdayThey’ve had some layoffs, and then they’ve rehired people. They’re still trying to figure out what the right numbers are. And obviously, the sooner they can get that settled, the better,
Cornyn said
First it was bad, and now it’s better. It has gotten better since the president spoke at the Cabinet meeting and said, ‘We need a scalpel, not a hatchet,’
Graham said, referring to Trump's March 6 comments after members of his Cabinet expressed frustration with MuskI don't know him as a DOGE person, I know him as a CIO,
When asked about Michael Russo, the SSA's chief information officer, he said ... per the PostIf you think of that type of error rate running through the agency, it creates more problems than we need,
he said, ... per the PostI have no intent to have anything like that happen under my watch."
Bisignano responded
If confirmed, you will be responsible for leading an agency with a critical mission, and numerous operational and customer service challenges,
said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).They could have at least had Olivia Newton-John or some '70s music... You can't make this up,
he said, per the Post