Social Security Head Named to Lead the IRS as Well. Advocates Fear Retirement Security Could Suffer.

Frank Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, has been picked to run the IRS as well. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg)

Key Points

• Frank Bisignano, head of the Social Security Administration, has been appointed CEO of the Internal Revenue Service, overseeing both agencies.
• Seniors’ advocacy groups strongly oppose Bisignano’s dual role, citing concerns about a leadership vacuum and indifference to Social Security beneficiaries.
• The Social Security Administration reported a 70% increase in calls handled and an 80% reduction in response times on its 1-800 number.

Seniors’ groups are protesting the appointment of Social Security Administration head Frank Bisignano to serve as CEO of the Internal Revenue Service as well, a move that puts two big and complex federal agencies under one man’s purview.

On Monday morning, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the new position for Bisignano, noting that he will be “managing the organization and overseeing all day-to-day IRS operations while also continuing to serve in his role as the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.” Bisignano will report to Bessent, who also serves as Acting Commissioner of the IRS.

The Trump administration now includes a number of people who serve in more than one role, including Marco Rubio, who serves as Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor.

Organizations that represent older Americans were quick to condemn the appointment. “Every American who has paid into Social Security should be outraged,” said Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “Running the Social Security Administration is a full-time job. Treating the job as a side gig insults every worker and retiree who depends on their earned benefits.”

“Naming Bisignano CEO of another crucial federal agency while he serves as SSA commissioner demonstrates the Trump administration’s indifference toward the 70 million Americans who depend on Social Security,” said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare.

“Bisignano’s new role will leave a leadership vacuum at the top of the agency,” said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy organization.

Frank Bisignano is a former corporate executive, and a Treasury spokesman highlighted his decades of experience managing complex, global operations. “Acting IRS Commissioner Bessent has selected Frank to support him with the important work of driving collections, privacy, and customer service for hardworking Americans,” the spokesman said.

A Social Security spokesperson told Barron’s, “Secretary Bessent’s selection of Commissioner Bisignano to also lead the day-to-day operations at IRS speaks to the incredible customer service turnaround that is happening at SSA.” Bisignano will continue to lead the SSA while supported by the “incredibly talented executive leadership team” he has assembled since his confirmation, the spokesperson added.

The Social Security Administration has touted customer service improvements under Bisignano. In a July release, the agency said its national 1-800 number was handling 70% more calls than it did in the same week last fiscal year, with an 80% reduction in response times.

Yet critics have noted what they called “chaos” at the Social Security Administration as the agency copes with staffing cuts imposed by the organization the administration dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency. Customers have complained about longer wait times to get their issues resolved and confusion about changing policies on what kind of assistance can be delivered over the phone.

There are at least 2,000 fewer workers in Social Security field offices throughout the country than there were at the beginning of the year, Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told Barron’s before the government shut down on Oct. 1.

There might be fewer frontline workers on the job now, as the Social Security Administration’s contingency plan called for nearly 1,500 frontline workers to be furloughed in the event of a shutdown. Social Security checks are not affected by the shutdown.

In his statement, Bessent praised Bisignano as a “proven leader with more than four decades of experience guiding some of the world’s largest financial institutions and technology companies through transformation and growth.”

Before his appointment as SSA Commissioner, Bisignano served as Chairman and CEO of Fiserv, a payment technology company. In 2019, he led the merger of Fiserv and First Data while acting as CEO of First Data, the Treasury release notes.

Write to Elizabeth O’Brien at elizabeth.obrien@barrons.com