Senate Finance Committee delays vote on Frank Bisignano nomination amid whistleblower concerns

The Senate Finance Committee recessed without holding a committee vote on the nomination of Frank Bisignano to be commissioner of the Social Security Administration after members said an anonymous whistleblower’s allegations need independent review.

Frank Bisignano, the nominee and chief executive officer of Fiserv, has more than 30 years of executive leadership in banks and financial institutions, committee members were told. At his confirmation hearing Bisignano described plans to reduce wait times for the SSA’s national 800 number, speed claims decisions and improve payment accuracy, and said he would prioritize allowing people to interact with the agency by phone, online or in person.

Why it matters: Committee members from both parties said the allegations in an anonymous letter and a whistleblower account — which, a senator said, had been independently confirmed by a Washington Post reporter — raise questions about how frequently the nominee communicated with Social Security officials and whether he intervened in personnel decisions. Senators raising objections said those concerns must be addressed before a committee or floor vote so the nominee and the committee can review and test the whistleblower’s claims.

Chairman remarks and committee response

Senator Mike Crapo, chairman of the…