On Tuesday, May 6, the U.S. Senate confirmed Frank Bisignano as Social Security Commissioner by a vote of 53-47. He was sworn in the following day as the 19^th Commissioner of the agency.

Prior to taking the reins at the Social Security Administration (SSA), Bisignano was Chairman and CEO of Fiserv, a payments and fintech company that processes more than $2.5 trillion in payments per day, per his testimony before the Senate during the confirmation process. His previous professional experience includes stints as chairman and CEO at First Data Corp., co-chief operating officer for JPMorgan Chase, and various roles at Citigroup.

“President Trump has been clear about Social Security. We will protect it,” Bisignano said in a statement. “We will make the Social Security Administration a premier organization.”

SSA has faced significant changes this year, including reducing its regional structure from ten offices to four regions and changes to the organizational structure at its headquarters.

Senate Democrats voiced concerns about Bisignano’s nomination, including fears about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) potential to “hollow out” the agency and the potential for a “private sector fix.” Bisignano testified he did not intend to privatize the agency, saying, “I’ve never thought about privatizing . . . It’s not a word that anybody’s ever talked to me about.” Regarding Senators’ concerns about Social Security beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information, Bisignano said, “I am going to do whatever is required to protect the information that is private.”

“The ability to receive payments on time and accurately is job one,” Bisignano said about the role of SSA. Among his top priorities at the agency, Commissioner Bisignano noted reducing Social Security’s error rate – which he called “five decimal places too high” – and overpayment issues. He also intends to reduce long wait times for beneficiaries who need assistance from the SSA when calling the 800 number, calling a hold time of more than 20 minutes unacceptable.

It is worth noting former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley also worked on SSA’s customer service, including wait times. Among his last remarks in that position in November 2024, O’Malley expressed concern about a 50-year staffing low and lack of resources at the agency versus the rising number of beneficiaries.