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Lawmakers, union leaders, retirees and activists gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Monday to oppose President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee, billionaire Frank Bisignano, for commissioner of the Social Security Administration The protest came ahead of a Senate vote on the nomination, which critics say could pose a serious threat to the future of the Social Security program.
Democratic lawmakers led the charge, arguing that Bisignano lacks the qualifications for the role and has deep ties to Trump and billionaire Elon Musk—both of whom have voiced support for scaling back the Social Security system.
“We are fighting for every senior. We are fighting for every parent of a kid with a disability who's supported by Social Security. We are fighting for every person who is paying into the program and wants to count on that program to be there for them when they need it,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Warren called Bisignano a “rubber stamp” for Trump and Musk, warning that his appointment would lead to cuts in benefits and essential services. “I am not in favor of handing over the keys to our Social Security Administration to a man who says that he will do whatever Donald Trump wants, whatever Elon Musk wants,” she said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was equally blunt. “In New York, Bisignano was known as 'Mr. Slash and Burn,’” Schumer said. “Whenever a company wanted to gut its workforce or squeeze the life out of an organization, they called him.” Schumer accused Republicans of deliberately sabotaging the program through staffing cuts, office closures and delayed services. To put Bisignano in charge of Social Security would be a “disgrace,” said Schumer.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called the nomination part of a broader effort to dismantle Social Security from the inside out. “Because of the voices of so many Americans, [the administration] has had to back off some of those measures, but we need to say loud and clear that we will not rest until we make sure that Social Security is not only safe, but stronger,” Van Hollen said.
Martin O’Malley, the former Social Security commissioner under President Joe Biden, warned that the agency is already strained. “When I served, the agency was at a 50-year staffing low,” O’Malley said, noting that the country needs a nominee who could build on our progress—not someone intent on tearing it down.
O’Malley also pushed back against misinformation surrounding the program. “The administration is trying to turn the public against Social Security by wrecking its reputation with big lies. Big lies like illegal immigrants get benefits. They don't, they're prohibited. Big lies like there's a zombie apocalypse. There's no zombie apocalypse. Dead people do not get Social Security benefits. Big lies like it's a Ponzi scheme. It's not a Ponzi scheme. Bitcoin might be, but not Social Security.”
Social Security beneficiaries also voiced their concerns.
Pam Parker, a retired electrician from Maryland and a member of the Maryland Alliance for Retired Americans, said the program is her only source of income. “This isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Parker, who worked on federal buildings, including the Pentagon and the Holocaust Museum. Parker said what is happening now is a “calculated, cruel plan to weaken Social Security” by forcing out experienced staff, closing offices and spreading lies.”
Brenda Marks, a 69-year-old registered behavior technician from Pittsburgh and a member of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, said she has contributed to Social Security since she was 18 and now fears her retirement is at risk. “The Department of Government Efficiency run by Elon Musk wants to blow up a system that millions of American workers have relied on for decades,” said Marks.
AFT retiree Marietta English, a retired educator from Baltimore, expressed frustration at the idea that Social Security is an entitlement. “I’ve paid into this system since I was 14. ... This is money that I earned and put away that I expected to receive someday when I retired.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten called Social Security “one of the most important social covenants” in American history. “It essentially says that after you work hard for your life ... that you're not going to be destitute in your retirement.” Weingarten said the administration is undermining that promise—closing offices, silencing phone lines, purging staff. “This is the act of an authoritarian. This is not the act of a government that has a social covenant with its people,” she said. “We will fight each and every day, not only to save Social Security, but make that covenant sacrosanct for the American people.”
The Senate vote on Bisignano’s nomination is expected to be close. Democratic leaders have urged the public to contact their senators and demand a rejection of the nominee.
[Adrienne Coles]