The newly sworn-in head of the Social Safety Administration advised company employees this week that when he was first supplied the job within the Trump administration, he wasn’t aware of the place and needed to look it up on-line.
Frank Bisignano, a former Wall Road government, mentioned throughout a city corridor with Social Safety managers from across the nation on Wednesday that he wasn’t searching for a place within the Trump administration when he obtained a name about main the SSA.
“So, I get a telephone name and it is about Social Safety. And I am actually, I am actually not, I swear I am not searching for a job,” Bisignano mentioned, based on an audio recording of the assembly obtained by ABC Information. “And I am like, ‘Properly, what am I going to do?’ So, I am Googling Social Safety. You already know, one in every of my nice expertise, I am one of many nice Googlers on the East Coast.”
“I am like, ‘What the heck’s the commissioner of Social Safety?'” mentioned Bisignano, who now oversees one of many largest federal companies that is accountable for distributing retirement, incapacity, and survivor advantages to greater than 70 million Individuals.
“Put that because the headline for the Publish: ‘Nice Googler in Chief. Chief in Googler’ or no matter,” mentioned Bisignano, who all through the assembly repeatedly bemoaned media leaks from inside the company.
Whereas Bisignano, who beforehand served as chairman and CEO of monetary expertise firm Fiserv Inc., brings expertise managing giant organizations and overseeing complicated cost methods to his new function, he has no prior historical past working in authorities or with the Social Safety system.
A Social Safety official advised ABC Information that Bisignano is “working to rework the company right into a premier service group.”
Frank Bisignano arrives to testify at his Senate Finance Committee affirmation listening to on the Dirksen Senate Workplace Constructing on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs
“He’s visiting places of work and assembly workers to listen to their concepts for the way the company can higher serve clients in-person, on the phone, and on-line,” the official mentioned. “Because the Commissioner evaluates the company, he has been clear that SSA can have the best staffing to ship Individuals their hard-earned advantages.”
“Clearly, Commissioner Bisignano was poking enjoyable at himself so that everybody within the room felt comfy having an open dialog about bettering service for the American folks,” the official added.
White Home spokesperson Liz Huston, in a press release to ABC Information, mentioned, “Commissioner Bisignano brings a helpful and much-needed outdoors perspective to the Social Safety Administration. Commissioner Bisignano’s confirmed success within the monetary companies trade uniquely positions him to guide the Trump Administration’s commonsense efforts to modernize the company and enhance its effectivity.”
In Wednesday’s 90-minute name, Bisignano sought to calm considerations about the way forward for the company amid latest management turnover and scrutiny from Elon Musk’s government-slashing Division of Authorities Effectivity, often called DOGE.
He advised the managers within the assembly that Social Safety was “not going away,” including that President Trump additionally agrees with that.
“That is America’s, you realize, security web — it isn’t going away. And hopefully you hear me say this every single day,” he mentioned. “You already know who needs me to inform people who? Guess. The president.”
“I’ve gotten notes about, ‘Will the turmoil of the final 5 months finish? Are you right here to trigger extra turmoil?'” he mentioned. “I do not assume it is the turmoil of the previous 5 months, though I would be the fifth since, you realize, November, proper?” Bisignano mentioned, referring to being the fifth individual put in command of the essential company since Trump was reelected in November.
“Are we having enjoyable but? Are we OK?” he requested these on the decision.
Bisignano advised the managers that they wanted to imagine that DOGE was “serving to to make issues higher” even when “it could not really feel that method.”
“Who’s heard of DOGE? Elevate your hand, proper? Your bias needs to be, as a result of mine is, DOGE helps make issues higher. It might not really feel that method, however do not imagine every little thing you learn.”
He mentioned DOGE could be concerned in rebuilding the Social Safety web site and integrating synthetic intelligence into the company’s telephone help methods.
A Social Safety Administration (SSA) workplace in Washington, DC, March 26, 2025.
Saul Loeb/AFP through Getty Photographs
The top of the company additionally advised managers that the SSA should undertake a “digital-first” mindset to fulfill the expectations of the American public, evaluating the company to how shoppers work together with tech giants like Amazon.
“You are competing with experiences that folks have with Amazon, proper? So if I might get one thing accomplished at Amazon, why cannot I get one thing accomplished the identical method with Social Safety? That is how folks assume.”
Bisignano’s formally joins the company following months of upheaval on the SSA, which has seen a revolving door of management amid DOGE’s sweeping efforts to overtake the company by modernizing its operations and slicing prices. Among the many adjustments DOGE is pushing are employees reassignments, digital infrastructure overhauls, and the controversial outsourcing of sure administrative capabilities, based on sources.
Bisignano additionally mentioned he doesn’t intend to implement reductions in drive, or RIFs, on the company, not less than for now. “I’ve no intent to RIF folks, OK? As a result of that is the massive query,” he mentioned.
When the Wall Road veteran was named Trump’s choose to guide the company, he confronted backlash from Democrats and activists who claimed his choice threatened the way forward for the Social Safety program. In early Could, lawmakers, union leaders, and activists protested his choice outdoors the U.S. Capitol forward of the Senate vote on his nomination.
On Wednesday’s name, Bisignano appeared to revel within the information.
“Did you guys know there was a protest in opposition to me? Who is aware of there was a protest in opposition to me?” he mentioned. “I like that protest — I wish to show them so improper, man, that is going to be most enjoyable I ever had.”
“I imply, consider that — a poor boy from Brooklyn, from a multi-generational family with a dad who labored within the federal authorities, and senators picketing that I will spoil it,” he mentioned. “No method — make it nice, proper?”
Bisignano, throughout the name, returned a number of instances to his considerations about leaks to the press, suggesting that he would sniff them out.
“My father was a DA and I am a detective at coronary heart, so I can determine stuff out,” he mentioned.
