MW Social Security Commissioner nominee Bisignano advances to next step in confirmation

By Jessica Hall

Bisignano now faces vote by the full Senate

Frank Bisignano, a self-described "DOGE person," saw his nomination as head of the Social Security Administration advance by a thin margin with full Republican support on Wednesday.

The Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines, 14 to 13, in favor of Bisignano's nomination to run the agency that provides $1.6 trillion in benefits each year to about 70 million beneficiaries. The nomination will be voted on by the full Senate at a date to be determined.

Bisignano's confirmation hearing was marked by a whistleblower's assertion that the Fiserv $(FI)$ CEO had been involved with the Department of Government Efficiency's reorganization of the Social Security Administration through conversations with key personnel.

Read: Social Security mayhem: A 'war room' to fight changes, a delayed confirmation vote and disrupted online access

Bisignano asserted to the committee in writing this weekend that he did not have a role at SSA yet and was not part of the decision-making process led by the current acting commissioner, Lee Dudek, about SSA operations, personnel or management.

The Social Security Administration in recent weeks has announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs, or 12% of its workforce, close regional offices and curtail some telephone services.

"Social Security needs a commissioner who will reverse DOGE's destruction. Bisignano is not that commissioner. Instead, he will cement and increase the destruction," said Nancy Altman, president of advocacy group Social Security Works.

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Bisignano has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience "and knows how to enact his bold vision of delivering better customer service for Social Security beneficiaries."

-Jessica Hall

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April 02, 2025 17:57 ET (21:57 GMT)

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