Wyden, Warren Press Social Security Commissioner Nominee on Trump, Musk Efforts to Gut Agency
Ahead of Finance Committee hearing, lawmakers push nominee to make commitments to stop further cuts to Americans’ benefits Senators say “we are gravely concerned about the current trajectory of the SSA and more specifically, that those charged with leading it might profit off its destruction.”
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said today they are pressing the Social Security Commissioner nominee to commit to stopping the Trump Administration and the self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency’s” ongoing efforts to hollow out the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee; and Warren, a member of the Finance Committee, warned those Social Security schemes may be a “prelude to privatization.”
The lawmakers highlighted recent reports of significant staffing cuts, office closures, and new burdensome administrative requirements on seniors who receive Social Security. At the same time, reports have also revealed that Elon Musk’s Wall Street allies have infiltrated the agency.
“These new developments leave us deeply concerned that DOGE and the Trump Administration are setting up the SSA for failure—a failure that could cut off Social Security benefits for millions of Americans—and that will then be used to justify a ‘private sector fix,” the lawmakers wrote to Social Security Commissioner nominee Frank Bisignano ahead of his Tuesday hearing at the Finance Committee..
Last week, the lawmakers wrote to Bisignano with concerns about how layoffs and office closures are impacting Americans’ Social Security benefits and services. In recent days, SSA officials have only intensified their efforts to undermine the program.
One policy change will require beneficiaries who can’t verify their identity online to do so in person. This change could force seniors and people with disabilities to travel more than 100 miles to sign up for benefits, creating particular problems for vulnerable populations, including people with severe disabilities or illnesses. An internal memo from SSA revealed inside officials have acknowledged the policy could lead to “service disruptions.”
“Republicans have flirted with the idea of privatizing Social Security for over two decades. The latest changes at the Social Security Administration leave us worried that Elon Musk—with his clear disdain for the program that provides financial security to millions of Americans—has taken up the mantle as the latest privatization crusader,” the lawmakers continued.
Beyond Musk planting a number of his private equity friends in various roles in the agency, Bisignano’s payment firm, Fiserv, which enables money movement for thousands of financial institutions and millions of people, could potentially also stand to benefit from SSA privatization.
The senators laid out specific commitments they expect Bisignano to make before the Finance Committee votes on his nomination.
The full text of the letter is here.
Next Article Previous Article
