Frank Bisignano named IRS CEO while keeping SSA role
Social Security chief Frank Bisignano was named to a newly created IRS "CEO" role reporting to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and reporting says the move appears to allow him to avoid the Senate confirmation process though it remains unclear whether the position legally requires confirmation. The appointment comes amid leadership turmoil at the IRS and inspector-general warnings that staffing losses imperil implementation of recent tax-law changes, prompting critics to allege conflicts of interest and a leadership vacuum even as Bisignano and Bessent emphasize shared customer-service and technology goals and note his private-sector CEO experience.
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📌 Key Facts
- Frank Bisignano, the Social Security Administration (SSA) chief, was named to a newly created IRS CEO position while remaining in his SSA role.
- Treasury says Bisignano will report to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is serving as acting IRS commissioner.
- It is unclear whether the new IRS CEO post requires Senate confirmation; the Wall Street Journal (reported by Axios) said the move appears to allow Bisignano to avoid the Senate confirmation process.
- The IRS has seen rapid leadership turnover this year — Scott Bessent is the seventh person to lead the agency this year: Billy Long was confirmed then ousted; Melanie Krause was named in February and resigned in April after a data‑sharing controversy; two other acting heads served in the interim.
- The Treasury Inspector General warned implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax changes is 'at risk' amid staffing losses at the IRS: key filing‑season functions have lost 17–19% of their workforce, fraud detection is down 18%, and IT services are down 25%.
- Bisignano and Bessent emphasized shared 'customer service and technological goals' in their statements; reporting also notes Bisignano has previously held dual roles in the private sector.
- Named critics (Mike Kaercher, Kathleen Romig, Nancy Altman) raised conflict‑of‑interest and leadership‑vacuum concerns about Bisignano's dual role and the appointment.
- Bisignano's private‑sector background includes serving as CEO of Fiserv since 2020, and reports mention his prior public defense of corporate LGBTQ+ protections.
📰 Sources (3)
Social Security administrator is named to the newly created position of IRS CEO
New information:
- Treasury says Bisignano will report to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is serving as acting IRS commissioner.
- Article notes it is unclear whether the newly created IRS CEO position will require Senate confirmation.
- Includes direct quotes and named critics (Mike Kaercher, Kathleen Romig, Nancy Altman) raising conflict‑of‑interest and leadership‑vacuum concerns.
- Notes Bisignano’s private‑sector background (CEO of Fiserv since 2020) and a brief mention of his prior public stance defending corporate LGBTQ+ protections.
Social Security chief to be IRS CEO
New information:
- Reporting that the move 'appears to allow Bisignano to avoid the Senate confirmation process' (Wall Street Journal reported)
- Context that Scott Bessent is the IRS's seventh commissioner this year and brief chronology: Billy Long confirmed then ousted; Melanie Krause named in February and resigned in April after a data‑sharing deal controversy; two other acting heads filled the role in the interim
- Inspector General staffing figures warning implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax changes is 'at risk'—key IRS filing‑season functions have lost 17–19% of their workforce, fraud detection down 18%, and IT services down 25%
- Quotes from Bisignano (email to SSA employees) and Bessent (press release) emphasizing shared 'customer service and technological goals' and Bisignano's prior dual roles in the private sector