After Pressure From Warren, Social Security Nominee Commits To Meet Staffing Needs and Protect Social Security Benefits
Following Musk’s cuts to the social security workforce, seniors face longer wait times, planned office closures, and more benefit interruptions.
Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) got Mr. Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee for Social Security Commissioner, to commit to meeting the staffing needs necessary to protect social security benefits amidst the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the Social Security Administration (SSA).
In the last month, SSA announced plans to cut over 7,000 employees and close regional offices across the country. Weeks later, it implemented a policy forcing seniors to verify their identity online or in-person, creating accessibility concerns. And last week, Acting Commissioner Dudek publicly threatened to shut down the agency after a judge blocked DOGE’s efforts to access seniors’ sensitive information. All of these actions raise serious concerns about the potential interruption of benefits.
Public reports indicate that SSA may reduce its workforce by 50 percent and is considering ending the leases of 45 field offices—effectively shutting them down. When questioned if he would reverse these layoffs if confirmed, Mr. Bisignano committed to “hav[ing] the right staffing to get the job done.” Senator Warren responded, “I'm going to hold you to that.”
Senator Warren sent two letters to Mr. Bisignano ahead of his confirmation hearing, one with concerns over how staff layoffs and office closures are impacting seniors’ benefits and another pressing him on if DOGE’s cuts are a “prelude to privatization” of SSA.
Transcript: Hearings to examine the nomination of Frank Bisignano, of New Jersey, to be Commissioner of Social Security Administration for the term expiring January 19, 2031.
Senate Finance Committee
March 25, 2025
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 90 years ago, Congress passed the Social Security Act, and the deal was simple: you work hard, you pay into Social Security across all your earnings years, and then when you retire, you can count on having those social security benefits that you paid for.
And now co-presidents Trump and Musk want to renege on that deal, so DOGE has taken a sledgehammer to the Social Security Administration, firing staff, closing field offices, and pulling the plug on phone services.
Last week, the acting commissioner of Social Security, who is openly working with Elon Musk, actually threatened to shut down the entire agency. Now this isn't about efficiency. Elon said the quiet part, about his plans, right out loud. Musk said we should, quote, “eliminate Social Security.” The richest man in the world said that Social Security for 73 million Americans should be destroyed.
Mr. Bisignano, you have been nominated to be in charge of Social Security, and seniors need to have a right to know if you're going to protect their benefits.
So, let's start simple. Say a 66-year-old man qualifies for Social Security. Mr. Bisignano, could the Social Security Administration, or Elon Musk, or Donald Trump decide to cut his benefits by $5,000 for no reason, without a new law passed by Congress?
Mr. Frank Bisignano, nominee for Social Security Commissioner: Is that a question?
Senator Warren: Yeah, that's a question.
Mr. Bisignano: I don't see that happening.
Senator Warren: I didn't ask if you see it happening. Could they, by law, cut those benefits without coming to Congress?
Mr. Bisignano: No.
Senator Warren: No? All right, so let's dig deeper. Suppose the same 65-year-old calls the helpline to apply for Social Security, but he's told about the new DOGE rule, so he has to go online or in person. He can't drive. He has trouble with the website, so he waits until his niece can get a day off to take him to the local Social Security office, but DOGE closed that office, so they have to drive two hours to get to the next closest office. When they get there, there are only two people who are staffing a fifty-person line, so he doesn't even make it to the front of the line before the office closes and he has to come back.
Now let's assume it takes our fellow three months to straighten this out, and he misses a total of $5,000 in benefits checks, which, by law, he will never get back. So, Mr. Bisignano, is that a benefit cut?
Mr. Bisignano: Well, first of all, Senator—
Senator Warren: Is that a benefit cut? I’m sorry, my time is limited here. That's an easy question. Yes or no, is it a benefit cut?
Mr. Bisignano: I have no intent to have anything like that happen under my watch, ma’am.
Senator Warren: I understand that. Is it a benefit cut?
Mr. Bisignano: I'm not sure what to call it. It sounds like a horrible situation.
Senator Warren: Is the person getting the $5,000 they were legally entitled to?
Mr. Bisignano: That was your scenario.
Senator Warren: So, are they getting $5,000 they were legally entitled to?
Mr. Bisignano: I don't know. I mean—You just told me—
Senator Warren: You don’t know?
Mr. Bisignano: Yeah, I mean—
Senator Warren: Look, let's be clear: that you keep $5,000 from them, by announcing a policy, it's illegal, but there are backdoor ways to accomplish the same thing. DOGE is considering slashing up to 50% of the Social Security Administration's workforce. That means longer lines, more errors, and for everyone who gives up or who dies before they get their benefits sorted out, those delays and errors also turn into benefit cuts.
Elon Musk is the richest man in the world, so he doesn't need social security. He'd be glad to get rid of it, but only Congress can cut Social Security benefits, and Elon is trying a backdoor way.
So, Mr. Bisignano, if you are confirmed in this job, will you commit to reversing these cuts so that seniors get the money that the law says they are entitled to?
Mr. Bisignano: What I will commit to is that I will run the agency, and I will be in charge of the agency, and I will look at every item you want me to look at.
Senator Warren: That's not what I'm asking you. I'm asking—you just answered the previous questions by saying you would follow the law. The law is to deliver the benefits that people are legally entitled to. If you don't have the staff, if you don't answer the phones, if you don't fix the mistakes, people don't get what they're legally entitled to. So, I want to know, are you willing to commit, right now, that you will put enough people back to work so they can do the job of delivering the benefits that Americans earned? Yes or no?
Mr. Bisignano: I will commit to have the right staffing to get the job done.
Senator Warren: To get the job done? Meaning delivering the benefits people are entitled to?
Mr. Bisignano: Yes.
Senator Warren: I'm going to hold you to that.
Mr. Bisignano: I appreciate that.
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