(NewsNation) — Frank Bisignano, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Social Security Administration, is facing criticism due to his involvement in a federal downsizing initiative that has prompted widespread office closures, phone service cutbacks and layoffs.
While Republicans generally support Bisignano’s nomination, some Senate Democrats have said Bisignano should withdraw his nomination.
If confirmed, Bisignano would assume leadership of an agency currently undergoing a major reorganization driven by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency.
Who is Frank Bisignano and why is his nomination controversial?
Bisignano, a Wall Street veteran and one-time defender of corporate policies to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, has served as chairman of Fiserv, a payments and financial services tech firm, since 2020.
He told CNBC in February that he is “fundamentally a DOGE person,” but “the objective isn’t to touch benefits.”
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On Tuesday, Bisignano was called to account for the recent upheaval at the SSA, which has taken center stage in the debate over the usefulness of DOGE cuts to taxpayer services and their effect on the social welfare program long regarded as the third rail of national politics.
His nomination has been met with backlash over his lack of relevant experience, privatization concerns and political and ideological concerns.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said Tuesday’s hearing “showed that Frank Bisignano is not the cure to the DOGE-manufactured chaos at the Social Security Administration. In fact, he is part of it and, if confirmed, would make it even worse.”
Asked during the hearing whether Social Security should be privatized, Bisignano responded: “I’ve never heard a word of it, and I’ve never thought about it.”
How do Frank Bisignano’s political donations affect his nomination?
Along with his wife, Tracy, Bisignano has contributed to the campaigns of those who helped elect Trump and both Democratic and Republican congressional candidates over the years, according to NJ Spotlight News.
Since the early 2000s, the Bisignanos have donated about $2.67 million to federal campaigns or political spending groups such as political action committees. In 2019, the couple also made two $125,000 donations to a super PAC supporting Trump.
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The largest donation came from Tracy Bisigano, who contributed $924,600 to a super PAC backing Trump’s 2024 election.
Bisignano has donated to at least nine senators who will vote on his confirmation, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
What is DOGE and how is it affecting Social Security?
The SSA has taken center stage in the debate over the usefulness of DOGE cuts to taxpayer services.
Later that month, the agency announced plans to cut 7,000 people from the agency payroll through layoffs, employee reassignments and an offer of voluntary separation agreements as part of an intensified effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce through DOGE.
Most recently, the agency’s acting commissioner, DOGE supporter Leland Dudek, announced a plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices. That sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population.
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The upheaval has made its way to the courts. A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked DOGE from Social Security systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling the group’s work there a “fishing expedition.” The order also requires the team to delete any personally identifiable data in its possession.
The Social Security program faces a looming bankruptcy date if it is not addressed by Congress. The May 2024 trustees’ report states that Social Security’s trust funds will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. Then, Social Security would only be able to pay 83% of benefits, absent changes.
Roughly 72.5 million people, including retirees and children, receive Social Security benefits.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
