Social Security Hearing Shows Trump Pick Bisignano Would Worsen "Doge-Manufactured Chaos"

[Brenda]

March 25, 2025

Trump and Musk have worked to weaken Social Security by:

Launching rhetorical attacks on the program, including false claims of massive fraud—providing a pretext for actions that could undermine eligible beneficiaries' access to benefits, such as privatization;

Engaging in deep cuts to staffing and new restrictions on phone-based services for the public, likely leading to the overwhelming of Social Security offices across the country, dozens of which are set to close this year under DOGE orders;

Jeopardizing the reliability of the Social Security Administration (SSA) systems, including through the sharp reduction of staff with technical expertise; and

Threatening the security of people's personal information by giving untrained DOGE political appointees unprecedented access to sensitive SSA data.

In recent weeks, longtime employees of the SSA have shed light on the impact of DOGE cutting 12% of the staff, with the former acting chief of staff to acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, Tiffany Flick, saying in a court filing before her retirement in February that DOGE's "disregard for critical processes... and lack of interest in understanding [SSA's] systems and programs... combined with the significant loss of expertise as more and more agency personnel leave, have me seriously concerned that SSA programs will continue to function and operate without disruption."

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) told reporters after the hearing that with Bisignano signaling he is "all in on DOGE... I see no reason to trust that he is going to do anything but be an enthusiastic participant in what Elon Musk and Donald Trum]p are trying to do to Social Security, which is to cause it, as far as I can see, to collapse from the inside."

OMFG.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/social-security-doge

[Irish_Dem]

1. He came across a nasty, sleazy guy.

[Brenda]

2. Did not watch it.

[Irish_Dem]

3. He is one of the creepier guys.

My skin was crawling.

And he is in charge of SS and Medicare.

[yellow dahlia]

4. Very untrustworthy and criminal-like.

He even looked the part and sounded the part.

Someone on another thread wondered if he had been drinking - I thought the same thing.

And he so clearly lied.

And I'm only part way through the C-Span video.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes that would make sense, he was drinking.

My alarm bells were going off.
He was slimy and arrogant.
Something was off.

He had that same arrogant condescending smirk we saw on Tulsi G's face today.
Maybe she was drunk too.
She had this arrogant slight smile on her face while being grilled.
And lied and lied, pointed fingers to other people.
She is a chilling cool number.
Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

[yellow dahlia]

7. Tulsi and Ratcliffe and Patel looked so underqualified today.

It is an insult to the American people.

And the idea that creepy vulture capitalist thug-boy is being considered to run the SSA is also an insult to the American people.

[yellow dahlia]

8. I think it is a strange state of affairs that I now spend so much time watching hearings on C-Span.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes clearly in way over their heads. Amateur hour.

They don't even lie well.

Yes thug boy in charge of SS is an outrage, every one should be furious.

Did you notice that there were two US military generals seated on both sides of the lineup?

Babies needed soldiers to protect them.

[yellow dahlia]

10. The military guys were competent in the way they conveyed info.

I don't know their titles - will have to look it up.

They were there because this was an annual regularly scheduled intelligence briefing. It just so happened that the story about the monumental intelligence breach broke yesterday, so that became the focus. Although Repugs focused on other aspects of intelliegence.

[Irish_Dem]

11. I see, thanks for the info.

It looked like the thugs brought protection with them.

I didn't see clips of the generals talking.

[Irish_Dem]

6. I went back and looked at the video of this guy.

Yes he looks like he had been drinking.
Or was impaired for some other reason.