Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Fiserv, Inc.
Frank Bisignano Loses His Temper, Rages Against Steven Horsford For Pointing Out SSA's Shortcomings
During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing yesterday on June 10, 2026, Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV) got into a tense exchange with Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano, who lost his temper and angrily lashed out at the Nevada congressman.
About Frank Bisignano
Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), testified before Congress in June 2026, stating that the agency had reduced wait times for initial disability claims decisions by 34 days and hearing wait times by 91 days. He said the SSA had reconciled the Social Security number database for the first time and had not added living individuals to the Death Master File during his tenure. Bisignano attributed these improvements to technology and leadership continuity, and said the agency was "protecting and preserving Social Security." During a June 10 hearing, Ranking Member John B. Larson questioned Bisignano on whether billionaires should pay more into Social Security. Bisignano responded, "I believe whatever the law is should be upheld," and later said, "Congress... has a responsibility to decide what they want to work on." In an April 2026 hearing on IRS enforcement, Bisignano, who also serves as IRS CEO, said the agency had collected $250 million from its top five cases and had 12% more enforcement revenue year-to-date. When asked about the tax gap, he stated the last reported figure was $650 billion, adding, "650 is big enough so we don't have to debate the trillion."
Transcript (32 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Estes0:00
Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Horsford from Nevada for 5 minutes for questioning.
S
Steven Horsford0:04
Thank you, Chairman Estes and to the ranking member. Commissioner, last year you came before the committee and committed to ensuring that Social Security field offices would be better staffed, more efficient, and better equipped to serve the public. Today, Nevada families are experiencing something that's very different. In Las Vegas, disability hearing wait times average nearly 11 months, among the longest in the nation. My office continues to hear from seniors, people with disabilities, and working families who cannot get answers and cannot access benefits that they deserve. Last year, you promised improvements. Today, Las Vegas disability applicants are waiting nearly 11 months. Do you believe that that's acceptable? Yes or no?
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Frank Bisignano0:53
Well, what I know is that as an example, your field office wait times are down 60%, right? And that's a 34-minute decrease from 24. I'm not looking at your disability numbers, and I'll come back to you on them, but if you look at our total disability numbers...
S
Steven Horsford1:13
I'm asking specifically about Las Vegas.
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Frank Bisignano1:16
I'll compare them with you. And I didn't say I didn't hear you talking about the field offices.
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Steven Horsford1:21
I did. That's where I started.
F
Frank Bisignano1:24
11 months. You started... Did you understand that? Did you understand...
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Steven Horsford1:28
months was acceptable or not. Yes or no, is it acceptable?
F
Frank Bisignano1:32
Did you understand that? Did you understand that? Did you understand...
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Steven Horsford1:36
Commissioner, reclaiming my time.
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Frank Bisignano1:38
Did you understand...
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Steven Horsford1:38
I'm going to rather than us going back and forth, let me share a message from one of my constituents. That told me and my staff that they have been calling and visiting the local office for months, and nobody can tell them anything. My case has sat unresolved for 7 months. I have no food. I can't pay my rent and I'm facing eviction. Commissioner, that is not a statistic. That is a Nevadan. So, will you designate a senior SSA point person to work directly with me and my office on unresolved constituent cases like this one? Yes or no?
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Frank Bisignano2:17
I'll have my head of disability come see you and your office.
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Steven Horsford2:22
Thank you.
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Frank Bisignano2:23
I right now show that you have...
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Steven Horsford2:25
Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner.
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Frank Bisignano2:26
No, you don't want to really deal with the numbers.
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Steven Horsford2:28
Commissioner, this week Speaker Johnson said on a local radio program Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid need to be, quote, adjusted and fixed. Americans who rely on Social Security deserve a clear answer. Have you been involved in any discussions about reducing Social Security benefits, raising the retirement age, or restricting eligibility for benefits? Yes or no?
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Frank Bisignano2:52
No.
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Steven Horsford2:56
That is important for me to know on the record. Now, I would like the Speaker and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to tell us what they mean by adjusted and fixed when it comes to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Let me turn to the issue around the average SSDI beneficiary receives about $19,000 a year. The average retired worker receives about $25,000 a year. Should Americans who paid into Social Security their entire working lives have to wait 11 months for a disability hearing? Yes or no?
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Frank Bisignano3:43
Disability hearing time is an all-time low.
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Steven Horsford3:46
Should they have to...
F
Frank Bisignano3:46
All-time low. It's an all-time low. How long you've been standing up there, sitting there? How many years? How many years you've been here?
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Steven Horsford3:54
So, is it acceptable, sir?
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Frank Bisignano3:58
Well, it's the best performance you've ever had, so you should think about that.
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Steven Horsford4:03
Well, it's not good enough for the people who paid into a system...
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Frank Bisignano4:08
You allowed it before to be worse.
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Steven Horsford4:11
I haven't allowed anything. Commissioner, can you guarantee that no Nevadan Social Security number, earnings record, or medical information was shared with an unauthorized third party, yes or no?
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Frank Bisignano4:30
Yes.
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Steven Horsford4:32
And you will state that for the record, that none of their personal information has been shared with an unauthorized third party.
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Frank Bisignano4:42
I just said it.
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Steven Horsford4:43
All right. It is important because Americans trust Social Security Administration with their most sensitive personal information. And my constituents are not asking for excuses, they're asking for service. They earned these benefits and they deserve timely access to them. And I'll work with you. Thank you for your commitment today, along with my office, to resolve these cases and reduce these unacceptable delays, whether it's 11 months, 6 months, or 1 month. They deserve their benefits. With that, I yield back.