WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) questioned Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee to be the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal agency that provides program benefits to over 150,000 Vermonters and 71 million Americans. Senator Welch pushed Bisignano on how he would protect Social Security from the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s actions to harm social security. Senator Welch also pressed Bisignano on working to increase Social Security death benefits.
“Here’s the dilemma that you and every other nominee is in: Musk is running roughshod. He could care less about what the function is. He wants a body count. And he, from our perspective, has way more control over every agency than the head of the agency…So, you’re going to be under the thumb of DOGE, that’s the aspect of this that worries me,” said Senator Welch. “You know what? Keep Musk the hell out of Social Security.”
Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s pick for Commissioner of the Social Security Administration:
Read excerpts of Senator Welch’s questioning below:
Sen. Welch: Here’s my problem with DOGE—it’s not about efficiency. There’s nobody here who doesn’t want to have our committee run more efficiently, or our Congress run more efficiently…But what’s happened with DOGE—and the news is in on this—I mean, this isn’t a debatable proposition. They’re cutting first, shooting first, and aiming later. And it’s really had incredibly damaging effects on what’s going on…The question is: doesn’t it make sense for an agency, whose goal is to have its place to be more efficient, to study the function first before they start firing people?
Bisignano: Yeah. I think—first of all, I think that the agency needs, is a multidisciplined…
Sen. Welch: That’s what I’m asking. Let’s be just direct here. DOGE has sent out termination notices to people, by DOGE employees who have no idea who the people are that they’re firing. They just know they’re on a list and they need a body count in order to be able to claim they’re ‘saving money.’ But nobody took a look at what the function was before they started firing people. I mean, have you ever done that in all of the time of your successful career that’s been a hallmark of being able to make organizations run more efficiently? Would you do it that way?
Bisignano: Uh, no.
Sen. Welch: That’s the right answer…Nobody would do it that way. Here’s the dilemma that you and every other nominee is in: Musk is running roughshod. He could care less about what the function is. He wants a body count. And he, from our perspective, has way more control over every agency than the head of the agency. I’d much prefer to have somebody who, with your experience, looks carefully at what the function is and then makes determinations about how to improve the delivery of that function. So, you’re going to be under the thumb of DOGE, that’s the aspect of this that worries me.
Bisignano: I’m planning on running the agency, reporting to the President, and I think the President has made it clear that DOGE is there for input, but that the agency heads own their decisions.
Sen. Welch: You know what, keep Musk the hell out of Social Security, please—totally. One Vermonter contacted me about the death benefit—we talked about this in my office. 1955 is when the death benefit in Social Security was established—$255. It doesn’t go as far today as it did before. And I want to work to have that come up to 2025 standards. Do you support doing that in a way that’s fiscally responsible for the Social Security beneficiaries?
Bisignano: As I said in your office, I’m happy to work on it with you.
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