Frank Bisignano Brags About Trump Administration's SSA As Social Security Faces Insolvency

Thank you. Members of the subcommittees, under President Trump, the Social Security Administration is delivering faster service, better customer experiences, and higher-quality outcomes for the American people. Every customer-facing service channel, field office, phones, and web has improved by double digits. This is the best all-around performance ever at the Social Security Administration. We have pledged and are protecting and preserving Social Security. SSA serves over 300 million people, and this year we will have over 800 million interactions. As a result of our record-breaking performance, we're saving the American people over 40 million hours. The American people are winning. Before I arrived in May 2025, SSA had four different leaders in 5 months and was an agency in turmoil. The American people endured a failed service model, the Biden administration's so-called appointment-focused service, turned people away who traveled to our field offices. On the national 800 number, only half of our customers got their calls answered. On the web, self-service features were down 29 hours a week. Turning people away who traveled to field offices, only answering half the calls, and having office hours on the web is not meeting our customers where they want to be met. The Trump administration is transforming SSA into a model of excellence, a digital first agency that meets and exceeds customer expectations for timely, accurate service in the channel of their choice. More than 99% of outfield offices are open and serving the public with average wait times reduced to 20 minutes, a 30% improvement. No field office is closed due to staffing. We now answer 90% of calls to our 800 number and have reduced average wait time to 5 minutes, a 75% improvement. Simultaneously, fiscal year-to-date, we are serving 56% more people, which represents 13 million additional customers served. Online services are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, enabling customers to complete transactions instantaneously. We are up 37% on our web transactions and up 21% on account creations. We are the largest digital financial services platform with over 103 million my social security accounts. In serving our most vulnerable, we have reduced wait times for initial disability claims decisions by 34 days, reduced hearing wait times by 91 days, reaching historical lows, and are quickly delivering disability benefits to those who qualify. Technology, process engineering, and disciplined execution have driven this transformation. Some of our recent improvements include online claims, straight-through processing, and advanced technology. These improvements have generated the equivalent of 2,500 work years in productivity savings across the agency. With better process engineering and management, we have reduced workload in field offices by the equivalent of 600 work years, allowing staff to spend more time serving customers directly. We have also prioritized workforce engagement. For the first time in agency history, I have established advisory councils that report directly to me. These efforts are producing results. Annualized fiscal year 2026 attrition will be 30% lower than fiscal year 2024, providing consistency for both staff and the public we serve. Finally, we have made risk management a core operating principle at SSA. We have closed IG order recommendations at a record pace, helping protect 16 billion in taxpayer funds. We are meeting congressional program integrity requirements, strengthening controls, and relentlessly pursuing the elimination of fraud, waste, and abuse. We have also restored stability. During the past year, there has been no turnover among my direct reports, whether career or political. That leadership continuity, combined with the dedication of SSA's workforce, enabled the agency to serve the American people through the 43-day government shutdown during the peak of retirement season. I am honored to lead this agency and serve the American people. We are building a modern, sustainable, and durable organization. The president's fiscal year 2027 budget request supports this transformation. Mr. Chairman, over the past year, we have improved service, strengthened controls, deployed technology, and delivered measurable results at historic scale. I look forward to discussing these accomplishments and answering your questions.