Trump’s SSA Chief To Warren: ‘Where Were You When Biden Let The System Fall Apart?’

Frank Bisignano, the new head of the Social Security Administration (SSA), is publicly defending controversial reforms rolled out under the Trump administration, pushing back against Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s claims of “mismanagement.”

In a fiery letter, Bisignano said the SSA is undergoing a long-overdue turnaround after years of “record backlogs” under President Biden.

Warren Leads Senate Attack on SSA Reforms

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, and Kirsten Gillibrand have accused the SSA of hiding the extent of customer service issues; citing long wait times, tech mishaps, and a troubling lack of transparency.

Their main complaint: The agency’s new AI-driven systems may be doing more harm than good.

“This lack of communication from your agency undermines its efforts to improve services by sowing chaos and confusion, which breeds distrust in the agency and its leadership. If SSA cannot learn from its mistakes in incorporating AI into basic telephone services for beneficiaries, we are concerned that SSA will make even bigger mistakes in incorporating AI into higher-risk tasks, particularly in roles that could jeopardize Americans’ financial security.” the senators said in a letter.

 

AI Rollout Sparks Panic And Some Real Glitches

The SSA’s adoption of artificial intelligence for call handling and fraud detection has not gone smoothly. One AI fraud bot only flagged two real threats out of 111,000 claims.

Another technical error on the SSA website in April mistakenly told some Supplement Security Income recipients their benefits had ended, rattling low-income recipients.

SSA Pushes Back: “We’re Finally Cleaning Up the Mess”

In his letter to Warren, Commissioner Bisignano pointed to sharp improvements in service metrics, including faster phone response times and reduced field office wait times.

He argued the agency’s modernization effort is producing measurable results and accused Warren of selective outrage depending on who’s in office.

 

“Where Were You Then?”: Bisignano Calls Out Warren’s Silence During Biden Years

The commissioner noted that Warren didn’t write to his predecessors during the Biden administration, despite public data showing call wait times hit an all-time high of 42 minutes in late 2023. Or when concerns were raised by SSA staffers in employment satisfaction surveys.

He defended the administration’s changes and wrote that the SSA is “experiencing a customer service turnaround after four years of long wait times and record backlogs under the Biden administration.”

“While I welcome your recent interest in customer service at SSA and the myriad of correspondences you sent my predecessor and me since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, I’m struck by how little you corresponded with the agency to express concern about deteriorating customer service during the previous administration,” Bisignano wrote to Warren.

SSA Metrics Shows Improvement

Bisignano’s letter highlighted significant gains in call center performance, noting that the average wait time on the SSA’s national 800 number dropped from 27.6 minutes in fiscal year 2024 to 20 minutes between October 5, 2024, and May 7, 2025.

Wait times fell even further to 10.4 minutes from May 8 to July 25 and reached just 4.6 minutes during the week of July 21–25.

Bisignano also cited improvements at SSA field offices, where average wait times fell from 28.3–30.9 minutes in fiscal year 2024 to 26.3 minutes in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. The downward trend continued, with wait times dropping to 21.4 minutes from January through March and further improving to 20.9 minutes between April and June.

He added that the backlog of initial disability claims has been cut to approximately 936,000—marking a 26% reduction from the peak of 1,269,713 cases recorded in June 2024.

“Across all of our service indicators, the evidence is clear: better management is improving the customer experience on the phones, in the field offices, and online. Nothing in the data supports the irresponsible allegations of mismanagement and a customer service crisis at SSA,” he wrote.

 

Is SSA Cooking the Books?

Warren and outside experts have accused the agency of underreporting true wait times.

While the SSA claims the average is now under 10 minutes, critics say callbacks often take hours and aren’t reflected in official data.

In her letter, Warren wrote, “The SSA is failing to provide policymakers and the public with accurate information about the extent of the problem, using convoluted calculations to obfuscate the real data, or withholding information entirely.”

The commissioner fired back, “With a new administration in office and across-the-board improvement in the performance data due to strong leadership, world-class management, and a new approach, which leverages technology, you now declare there is a customer service crisis at SSA. You further question the long-standing methodology behind the performance data, which is prepared by SSA’s dedicated career workforce and regularly reported to Congress across administrations.”

Elon Musk’s Shadow Over Social Security

Many of the reforms were developed under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initially helmed by Elon Musk.

Though Musk has since stepped down, his aggressive streamlining including office closures and staff cuts was widely criticized by the Democrats.

Former SSA Head Warns of Benefit “Collapse”

Martin O’Malley, the Biden-era commissioner has gone public with his fears: Social Security’s service delays could soon trigger payment interruptions for the first time in over 80 years.

He called the changes “reckless” and “dangerously destabilizing.”

Critics point out that Martin O’Malley is a partisan hack who ran for DNC chair after loosing his job as SSA commissioner. He lost the DNC Chair race.

What the Numbers Say and What They Don’t

SSA’s own data shows improvement: phone wait times down, field office delays dropping, and a 26% reduction in the disability claim backlog.

But many observers say the numbers don’t tell the full story; especially for seniors without internet access or those stuck in callback limbo.

Partisan Propaganda? Controversy Over SSA’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Email

A recent SSA email about Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” raised eyebrows for praising the former president and suggesting that 90% of beneficiaries would no longer pay taxes on benefits.

Critics say the email crossed the line into political propaganda.

Public Trust in the System is Fraying

Between AI confusion, long delays, and partisan squabbling, confidence in Social Security’s stability is wearing thin.

For many retirees and people with disabilities, navigating the system is already a challenge and this public fight is only deepening fears.

Warren Demands Audit And Bisignano Says “Bring It On”

In response to Warren’s latest letter, Bisignano agreed to an Inspector General-led audit of SSA’s call metrics and reporting practices.

He said, “Inflammatory political rhetoric from a “Social Security War Room” does not help the agency reduce wait times on the phones and in field offices, or process claims faster.”

What Happens Next: Deadline Looms for SSA’s Transparency Report

The SSA has until August 11 to provide a full accounting of its call center metrics, including dropped calls, AI transfers, and wait times for human agents.

The results of that report and the audit that follows could shape the next phase of Social Security reform.

Beneficiaries Left in the Crossfire

While Washington argues over data and blame, over 70 million Americans rely on timely, consistent Social Security support.

With service quality still in question and modernization efforts uneven, many fear they’ll continue paying the price for political theater.

Will SSA Reforms Deliver Or Backfire?

Trump supporters see Bisignano’s overhaul as a long-needed correction to years of mismanagement.

But others worry the pace and priorities of the changes are putting benefits and public trust at risk.

As the audit nears, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

 

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Social Security’s 2.6% Projected COLA in 2026 Could Be Wiped Out by Rising Medicare Costs

Social Security beneficiaries are projected to receive a 2.6% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in 2026, according to estimates based on the latest inflation data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on July 15, 2025. The adjustment, which determines how much monthly benefits increase to keep pace with inflation, is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). While this projected bump is slightly higher than the previous month’s estimate of 2.5%, it still falls short of covering rising living costs for many seniors.

Social Security’s 2.6% Projected COLA in 2026 Could Be Wiped Out by Rising Medicare Costs

 

Trump Pushes Social Security Into the Digital Age As Paper Checks to End This Fall, But Seniors Have Options

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that paper checks will no longer be issued starting September 30, 2025, in a major modernization move led by the Trump administration. This change is part of a broader government effort to reduce fraud, improve efficiency, and save taxpayer dollars.

Trump Pushes Social Security Into the Digital Age As Paper Checks to End This Fall, But Seniors Have Options

Starting This Month, Social Security Slashes Checks by 50% for Overpaid Retirees

Starting August, the Social Security Administration begins clawing back overpaid benefits at a dramatically faster pace; slashing monthly payments by 50% for recipients with outstanding debts. The abrupt policy change, which affects hundreds of thousands of Americans, is part of the agency’s latest effort to recover an estimated $32.8 billion in overpayments made between 2020 and 2023. While only a small percentage of total recipients are impacted, those affected could now see half their monthly checks vanish; raising serious concerns about hardship among retirees and disabled Americans who rely on Social Security for basic living expenses.

Starting This Month, Social Security Slashes Checks by 50% for Overpaid Retirees

Congress May Auto-Enroll You in Medicare Advantage for 3 Years; Without Asking First

A new bill in Congress; H.R. 3467, could dramatically change how older adults enroll in Medicare starting in 2028. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), would automatically place all eligible individuals into the lowest-cost Medicare Advantage plan in their area unless they actively opt out. This means millions of seniors could be enrolled into a health plan they didn’t choose, with networks, drug coverage, and out-of-pocket costs they may not understand until it’s too late.

Congress May Auto-Enroll You in Medicare Advantage for 3 Years; Without Asking First

 

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