Social Security Administrator Frank Bisignano Concurrently Named IRS Commissioner
WASHINGTON – Frank Bisignano, currently teh Social Security Administrator, has been appointed as the new Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the Treasury Department announced today. This unprecedented move makes Bisignano one of the few Trump governance officials to hold two major government positions concurrently, joining a group that includes former officials like Bessent, Marco Rubio, Sean Duffy, Jamieson Greer and Russell Vought.
The appointment raises concerns among Social Security advocates, who fear divided attention will hinder the agency’s ability to address challenges, especially as it implements a complex new tax law. Bisignano’s confirmation to lead the Social Security Administration followed a period of acting commissioners, including one who resigned following controversy over data sharing between the IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bisignano has simultaneously served as chair of Fiserv, a payments and financial services tech firm, since 2020. His appointment to the IRS does not require Senate confirmation, a point of contention raised by Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who questioned why the administration wouldn’t seek Senate approval for someone leading both the nation’s largest program and overseeing tax law implementation. “If the Trump Admin asked for the Senate’s advice & consent, would they really want the same person running the government’s biggest program AND overseeing the implementation of the exceptionally complex new tax law?” she posted on the Bluesky social media app.
nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, echoed these concerns, stating Bisignano’s dual role will “create a bottleneck” and leave a “leadership vacuum” at the Social Security Administration, especially with a deputy commissioner yet to be confirmed by the Senate. Bisignano has a history of defending corporate policies protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination.