<\/p>\n
“Their playbook is clearly to break Social Security so they can justify further cuts and privatization,” warned a labor leader.<\/p>\n
\n\tAdvocates for the Social Security Administration expressed grave concerns on Tuesday when U.S. Senate Republicans united to approve President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the agency, former financial executive Frank Bisignano.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWith a vote of 53-47 strictly along party lines, the newly confirmed SSA commissioner has openly identified himself as a “DOGE person,” a nod to Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by billionaire Elon Musk.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Elon Musk and Donald Trump, along with the discreet assistance of Frank Bisignano, have recently been dismantling Social Security,” claimed Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works. “This vote was a chance for the Senate to stand against the dismantlement of Social Security and to insist that Trump appoint a commissioner dedicated to halting the harm. Instead, every Republican in the Senate has endorsed the DOGE-led destruction of Social Security.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAccording to Altman, “Bisignano was a Wall Street CEO renowned for deeply cutting the staff of his companies, including enacting widespread layoffs. He is also dishonest. He denies any involvement in the chaotic and destructive changes within the Social Security Administration: the gutting of the agency, the theft of our most sensitive data, the damaging and abruptly implemented policy shifts, their sudden reversals, and more. Yet, multiple long-term civil servants, identified by a courageous whistleblower, can confirm his deceit.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAltman further cautioned that “with Bisignano’s enhanced authority as a confirmed commissioner, he is likely to hasten the ruin of our Social Security system. A small glimmer of hope remains as the DOGE operatives in charge of Social Security have backpedaled on some of the most significant cuts amidst widespread public backlash. They recognize the broad popularity of Social Security across all voter demographics.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tShe continued, “Together, we can rescue Social Security from the clutches of Trump, Musk, and Bisignano. It will require millions of us in the streets, collectively raising our voices to say, ‘Keep your hands off our Social Security.'”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tLee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), also voiced concerns that “the Senate has intensified the threat to Social Security” by confirming a billionaire CEO who “has dedicated his career to serving the interests of Wall Street’s elite.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Bisignano had the opportunity to defend working families and retirees by standing against the rollback of Social Security services, the closure of offices, and the firing of thousands of employees. However, he has chosen to continue the same destructive leadership that we’ve seen thus far at Social Security,” Saunders remarked, also highlighting Bisignano’s “DOGE person” comments.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Their strategy is clearly to dismantle Social Security so they can push for further reductions and privatization,” the labor leader emphasized, promising that AFSCME members “will continue our efforts to safeguard our right to retire with dignity.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tRichard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, described the confirmation vote as “deeply concerning to millions of current and future retirees who depend on the guaranteed benefits they have paid for and earned over their working lives.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Mr. Bisignano’s Senate testimony, coupled with his extensive background in finance and technology, offers no assurance that he understands\u2014or prioritizes\u2014the needs of older and disabled Americans,” Fiesta stated. “We remain deeply worried about his potential support for privatization or the replacement of essential SSA workers with AI technologies, which could degrade the quality and accessibility of services.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\tDemocratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also criticized the Senate GOP for confirming “a Wall Street puppet and self-proclaimed ‘DOGE person’ who aims to assist Donald Trump and his covert leader Elon Musk in dismantling the program.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Like Trump and Musk, Bisignano is willing to sacrifice Social Security to enrich billionaires and special interests,” Martin claimed, noting that the actions of these men jeopardize the benefits of 73 million individuals.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tMembers of the Senate Democratic Caucus, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), also highlighted the risks posed by the new commissioner. Schumer stated, “The appointment of Mr. Slash-and-Burn Bisignano is merely DOGE under another guise.”\n<\/p>\n
\n\t“Donald Trump and the Republicans are aware they cannot overtly express their desire to terminate Social Security, so instead they opt for another tactic: asphyxiation. Office shutdowns, delays, mass layoffs, issues over the phone, issues via email. Bisignano will only exacerbate this asphyxiation,” Schumer declared prior to the vote. “Should Mr. Bisignano be confirmed, Senate Republicans will be directly accountable for all the turmoil he causes at the Social Security Administration.”<\/p>\n\n\n