Trump’s Social Security Pick Will Be Voted on Despite Calls for Further Investigation

An anonymous whistleblower’s claims against President Trump’s pick to head up the Social Security Administration, and objections from Democrats, will not delay a committee vote to move the nominee to the Senate floor.Senator Wyden says his office received a letter claiming Frank Bisignano has meddled to get DOGE officials installed at the embattled agency ahead of his confirmation. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday morning, the top Democrat on the committee said Mr. Bisignano lied multiple times during a confirmation hearing last week and his nomination should be paused to investigate the claims further.“I insist in the name of basic fairness, that there is a chance to have a bipartisan inquiry into exactly what the whistleblower said and the nominee’s response and it take place before there is a final vote on the floor of the Senate,” Mr. Wyden said.The committee’s chairman, Senator Crapo, said that he would be willing to meet with the person who wrote the anonymous letter but they have not made themselves available.He added that Mr. Bisignano gave a written response to the claims and denied he had done anything improper. “I remind my colleagues that Mr. Bisignano does not currently hold a position at the Social Security Administration, let alone a decision making position,” Mr. Crapo said.Mr. Crapo said the Republican-led committee would vote later on Tuesday to move the nomination forward. “I think it would be a dark day in the history of the Finance Committee if we surrender our ability to hold truth to power,” Mr. Wyden said.SSA makes more than $1.3 trillion in annual payments to more than 70 million Americans. The Trump administration’s plans for the agency have come under scrutiny with Elon Musk having claimed the agency is full of fraud and abuse. He has called it a “Ponzi Scheme.”The agency announced changes that went into effect this week that elderly and disabled Americans who file for benefits over the phone will have to verify their identity either online or in person at a field office before their claims are approved.The changes will also apply to individuals who want to change their direct deposit information.The AARP criticized the decision, saying, “Requiring rural Americans to go into an office can mean having to take a day off of work and drive for hours merely to fill out paperwork. The Social Security Administration needs to be able to figure out a solution for Americans everywhere to get help in a timely and efficient manner.”Democrats have warned that the agency was closing dozens of field offices at the time they were forcing some recipients to make in-person visits. The agency denies field offices are closing and said the closures were underutilized office spaces or small hearing rooms with no assigned employees. The SSA said since most hearings are held virtually, it no longer needs those rooms.Mr. Bisignano is the former CEO of financial services company Fiserv. He previously had executive roles at JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup.In his confirmation hearing he promised to address the department’s abysmal phone service. The SSA says it has an “answer rate” of less than half of all calls. Mr. Bisignano said A.I. could solve the problem and reduce wait times.If confirmed, Mr. Bisignano’s term would run until January 19, 2031.

Trump’s Social Security Pick Will Be Voted on Despite Calls for Further Investigation

Trump’s Social Security Pick Will Be Voted on Despite Calls for Further Investigation

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