Senate Finance Committee advances nomination of Frank Bisignano for Social Security commissioner

The Senate Finance Committee voted April 2 to advance the nomination of Frank Bisignano for Social Security commissioner, despite strong opposition from Democrats.

Bisignano’s nomination garnered a 14-13 vote from the committee along party lines.

“The Finance Committee should not be holding this vote,” said ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to the committee April 1. “This nominee lied multiple times to every member of this committee, including the bipartisan finance (committee) staff, and the nominee’s actions and communications with DOGE remain very much at the heart of my objection here.”

At the nomination hearing March 25, Wyden asked whether Bisignano, chair of the board and CEO at Fiserv, had been involved “in discussions about DOGE or any of the operations, personnel or management decisions” of those working at the Social Security Administration, to which Bisignano said no.

“That sounds like a reassuring response, but unfortunately, it's not true,” Wyden said, referencing a whistleblower complaint that states Bisignano requested he personally approve several key "department of government efficiency" hires at the SSA.

Bisignano denied having any contact with SSA’s acting Commissioner Lee Dudek, and he denied hiring any DOGE officials “in the middle of the night,” when asked about such actions by Wyden, who referenced the whistleblower letter.

Following the vote April 2, Wyden said in a statement, “By moving ahead with this vote, the Republican majority is sending a simple message to whistleblowers: Put your whistles away.”

Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, told the committee April 1 that “Mr. Bisignano would bring his decadeslong focus on strong customer service and operational excellence to the SSA,” and urged his colleagues to support his nomination.

His comments differed greatly from those of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who said Bisignano’s experience would only make things worse for the Social Security Administration, which has seen a series of changes in recent weeks, including staffing cuts, regional office closures and new identity-proofing procedures.

“We are seeing an undermining of the services at Social Security right now, and Mr. Bisignano represents somebody who's made a name for himself in the business sector of coming in and, if you will, slashing and burning to find the efficiencies. Well, I would say Social Security is no place to slash and burn,” Cantwell said April 1.

Bisignano said in a February CNBC interview that he’s “fundamentally a DOGE person,” and he also signaled his support for the initiative at his nomination hearing.

“I'm happy to work with anybody who can help us, and I believe that I'm fundamentally about efficiency myself,” Bisignano said when asked about his previous comments on DOGE.

Senate Democrats launched a “Social Security war room” April 1 to fight back against changes to the program led by DOGE. The war room will serve as a hub for oversight work, social media posts and town halls, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference alongside other Democrats.

Bisignano’s nomination will now go to the full Senate, though a vote has yet to be scheduled.