Washington (AP) – the veteran of Wall Street, Frank Bissignano, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to head the social security authority, and took over at a turbulent time for the agency, which offers more than 70 million Americans advantages.
The Senate confirmed Bissignano in a 53-47 vote.
Bissignano is confirmed after a month-long series of announcements in the social security administration of mass federal workers layoffs, cuts in programs, office reversals and a planned reduction in nationwide telephone services for social security, which had finally declined.
Many of the changes are powered by the Ministry of Government Efficiency of the Trump government under the direction of the billionaire consultant Elon Musk, who said this week he was preparing to take out his role in the administration. The upheaval has made social security a main focus of Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, who said in his first public speech since leaving the office that Republican President Donald Trump had brought a hatchet to the program.
Bisignano, a self-proclaimed “Doge person”, has been chairman of Fiserv since 2020, a technology company for payments and financial services. Bisignano takes over the acting commissioner of the agency, Dogy supporter Leland Dudek. Bissignano’s term of office ends in January 2031.
Bisignano replied to the hearing of his March confirmation whether social security should be privatized: “I have never heard a word of it and have never thought about it.”
Democrats and activists have been raving about Bissignano’s confirmation for weeks and organizing rallies and other events against his appointment.
During the last roller calls, the Democratic Senator of Oregon, Ron Wyden, called Bissignano “unsuitable” in order to be the administrator of the social security services of the Americans. Wyden said Trump wants bissignano to “intestine” social security, and that republicans who support the confirmation of Bissignano are responsible if her grandmother misses a social security check and cannot pay for rent.
“By confirming Mr. Bissignano, the Senate will sign a death sentence for social security as we know it today,” said Wyden.
The agency’s chaos began shortly after the incumbent commissioner Michelle King had resigned in February. This led to a lawsuit by unions and pensioners who asked a federal court to issue an emergency regulation that confined access to social security data.
Most recently, the full jury on the 4th US Court of Appeal agreed with 9: 6 not to escalate any restrictions on access that the DOGE on social security systems with personal data has millions of Americans.
Also in February, the agency announced plans to reduce 7,000 people from the agency’s salary statement by layoffs, employees and an offer of voluntary separation agreements as part of an intensive efforts to reduce the size of the federal employees.
Dudek also announced a plan that obliges personal identity exams for millions of up-to-date and existing recipients and at the same time closes government offices. This solved by legislators, representative groups and program recipients who fear that the government will present unnecessary obstacles to an already endangered population. This plan has been rolled back since then.
The SSA offers an advantage of around 72.5 million people, including pensioners and children.
