WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s candidate has pledged to what the Social Security Administration pledged on Tuesday.

Social Security Committee candidate Frank Vignano testified during a Almost 3 hours of hearing The Senate Finance Committee wants to ensure that beneficiaries have the option to visit their offices, use the website, or speak to real people after calling a number 1-800.

“On the phone, we are committed to reducing wait times and providing a better experience for our beneficiaries. Waiting 20 minutes to get a response is a thing of the past,” Vignanano said. “We also think it will significantly improve the length of the failure claims process.”

Bisignano promised lawmakers that it would reduce the 1% error rate of payments, telling them that “the five-digit location is too high.” He then repeatedly said that personally identifiable information would be “protected.”

Elevator music

Democrats and Republicans on the panel have repeatedly raised concerns about how long they are already waiting for calls to answer when they need to make changes or have issues with Social Security benefits.

Sen. Steve Daines of R-Mont said on Monday, his staff called the Social Security Agency’s customer service number to prepare for the hearing, but were cut off twice and had to wait an hour while listening to “D grade elevator music.”

“It could have been Olivia Newton John or mediocre ’70s music,” said Daines, who plays recordings for Hold Music.

Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy asked Visignano how potential changes in the Social Security Agency would ensure that no seniors can be excluded from attending in-person meetings at field offices.

Bisignano said it views the call as “an essential way for people to communicate,” especially as it received more than 80 million calls last year.

“If you look at the Social Security website and look at the statistics, it’s not very acceptable that it takes more than 20 minutes to answer the call,” Vignanano said. “And that’s why only 46% of calls can be answered, because people get discouraged and hang up.”

Bisignano said he believes that telephone lines can wait less than a minute.

“We also think that people within the organization can help people in bring in artificial intelligence and answer questions well by encouraging the information they need,” Vignano said.

Bisignano of New Jersey, Fiserv, Inc. He works as chairman and chief executive officer of the board of directors, “enables the movement of money for thousands of financial institutions and millions of people and businesses,” according to the website. The company is based in Wisconsin.

He previously appeared in JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Doge pursues office closure

Democrats seemed unconvinced that the proposal to change from US Doge Services and Elon Musk would have a positive impact on the Social Security Agency.

“At the direction of Elon Musk and Dozi earlier this month, the administration announced plans to close 47 Social Security offices, including ones in Littleton, New Hampshire,” Sen. Maggie Hassan said. “Suddenly afterwards, the Social Security Administration announced plans to force more applicants and beneficiaries to head to the office, but at the same time they will fire staff who work in the remaining offices. If the Littleton office is closed, North Country Seniors will be forced to travel nearly 100 miles to their next new Hampshire Field office.”

Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennett criticized the Trump administration for unveiling plans earlier this month to eliminate “access to many service options over the phone.”

“Instead, they will need to use the online verification process or call to make in-person appointments,” Bennett said. “The agency itself estimates that this will add 75,000 to 85,000 in-person visitors to the field office per week.

“As my colleagues have already said, the waiting time for an appointment can already take a month, and that in-person appointment will mark the lowest head count in decades, with the agency cutting 7,000 employees.”

Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith said the Trump administration chose to “remarkably cut telephone services and force people to apply for benefits directly.”

“So we can call this rank incompetent, or we can call it a game plan that Doge has taken in full and unknown,” says Smith. “But to me, it honestly looks like a hindrance.”

Bisignano testified that he and no one else would make a final decision on whether to close the field office.

“What I commit is that there is no decision that was decided without you knowing it,” he said. “I’m not going to close my field office, but I’m not studying anything on this topic, so it’s a bit difficult to commit to anything.”

North Carolina Republican Sen. Tom Tillis urged Vignano not to “punch a punch” on his decision to close the field office.

“After doing the analysis, all members of Congress will prefer your analysis, except for me, except perhaps, to the extent that it affects either their offices and the district or state,” Tillis said.

“Cheater” Layoff with newborns

Vignano distanced himself from some of the comments Trump administration officials made about Social Security, but he was reluctant to do so.

He disagreed with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Who said on the podcast If his stepmother misses out on Social Security payments, “the easiest way to find a con man is because anyone who screams is a steal.”

“It’s going to be difficult to reach that conclusion,” Vignano said.

He said he disagreed with trying to use Social Security as a political weapon after Nevada Democratic Sen. Katherine Cortez Mast asked about news reports and then asked about news reports that Social Security numbers were attempted to change how Maine’s newborns’ social security numbers were issued.

“Current Social Security Administrators have temporarily terminated a contract that allowed parents of newborn babies in Maine to sign their children with the hospital’s Social Security numbers,” Cortez Masto said. “Instead, he asked them to target it in the office.”

“Current administrators said they saw Janet Mills clash with Trump in the White House and ordered him to move,” she added. “He then quickly reversed that decision, but he said he did it because the governor of Maine felt he wasn’t really loyal to the president.”

When asked about the issue by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vignano appeared to reject the possibility of a massive layoff at the Social Security Agency.

“Do you think it’s a great idea to fire half of your employees when the system doesn’t work? I think the answer is probably no,” Vignanano said.

Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, asked if Visignano would take the same approach as Doge’s firing federal workers.

“No,” Vignano said.

In another part of the hearing, Visignano said he believes his job as a commissioner is to “ensure that all beneficiaries receive payments on time, and ensure that disabled people are handled in the way they should be.”

“So my first move is to be organized around providing services,” he said. “And I was given one order, which is to run the agency in the right way.”

Vignano also rejected the possibility of privatizing Social Security.

“I’ve never thought about privatization. That’s not what anyone spoke to me,” Vignano said. “And I don’t consider this agency anything other than a government agency that runs for the benefit of the American people.”

Last updated at 3:56pm, March 25, 2025