Bye Bye Social Security - Senate Just Confirmed Bisignano -

[Nanjeanne]

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5357629/social-security-administration-frank-bisignano-confirmed]

In a 53-47 vote, the U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of tech CEO Frank Bisignano to be the commissioner of the Social Security Administration

Democrats in the Senate have also raised concerns about Bisignano's alleged communication with members of billionaire Elon Musk's team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., accused Bisignano of lying "about his actions and communications with DOGE and the Social Security Administration prior to his hearing." During Bisignano's confirmation hearing before the Finance Committee, Wyden said a whistleblower told his office that the nominee "personally intervened to get DOGE officials installed … and got basically approved in the middle of the night as a result of [Bisignano's] insistence."

Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said in a statement during the Senate's consideration of the nomination that "Social Security needs a commissioner whose loyalty is to beneficiaries, not Elon Musk." She said Bisagnano is not that person.

So every single Republican has this to defend as well. We are so fucked.

[CousinIT]

1. I retire soon. Not sure I'll ever see mine. Others receiving benefits may not continue receiving them. And...

..when Social Security is privatized and the trust fund looted, all of our payments will be drastically cut.

It WAS the most efficient, fraud-free agency in government and the most effective anti-poverty program in America.

Now? It will be run by greedy, money-grubbing faceless private equity goons and AI. The small shortfall that COULD have been dealt with by raising the cap or the full age slightly (or both) will now become a chasm and benefits will be difficult to get and they will be greatly reduced.

Asshole MAGAts voted for this. Including my dumbass relatives WHO ARE LIVING ON IT.

But when it's cut, they'll blame "both sides" or the Democrats. Nothing in life is more certain other than death and taxes.

This is a BAD, BAD day.

[elocs]

5. It was a bad, bad day when Trump was elected but I think we were convinced that would never happen.

Harris got 3% less of the female vote than Biden did in 2020 when she needed as much if not more. She also received 2% less of the Black vote, 13% less of the Latino vote.
I wonder how many Democrats or those who usually voted Democratic skipped voting?

[CousinIT]

29. I have progressive neighbors that didn't vote. "Oh they're all the same. I want Bernie!"

Dumbasses!

I have Mexican friends/family who have told me that it's the men (at least the ones they know) who would not vote for a women. I've heard that from a few places/groups.

As for women, I have no freaking idea how they have no self-respect, same w/ black voters.

[Skittles]

51. CULTS

they ain't just for repukes

[Tickle]

17. I just went from SSI to SS

You'll be fine and you will get your SS just like you are supposed to.

My check has not been late, in fact early by a couple of days. SS is not going away. I've been hearing this since 1981 when they came out with the 401K plans.

[enid602]

53. SS

SS is bot going away, but Republicans appear to be calling for a 20-30% decrease in benefits. They also want similar cuts in Medicare, which they would take out of beneficiaries’ monthly SS payment. They probably can’t make the cuts by using DOGE, so they’ll most likely agree to fund future government budgets by ‘reconciling’ cuts into approval. I heard they are trying to cut Medicaid this year by using this tactic. Vote in the Midterms and resist!

[yellow dahlia]

60. It is indeed a BAD BAD day.

[multigraincracker]

2. One important thing about us retries,

we vote.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Oh, I read that several times. I thought you mean retreads. You mean retirees.

I swear this site skips letters or inserts others at times. I have the same problem.

[multigraincracker]

20. I have very fat fingers too.

[CousinIT]

30. Well, I guess we could be retreads too!

[elocs]

6. But how many retirees who voted for Trump & Republican candidates will change their votes?

https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/info-2024/election-analysis-older-voters.html

"President-elect Donald Trump has the power of older voters to thank for his victory in Tuesday’s election.

Voters 50-plus put their weight behind Republican Trump over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. These voters favored Trump over Harris, 52 to 47 percent, according to AP VoteCast."

So take a bow seniors because you'll get what you voted for like the rest of us.

[multigraincracker]

22. Mess with SS and Medicare. and put big dent in that.

[CousinIT]

31. THIS senior didn't vote for that asshole.

I went Harris Walz.

How freaking STUPID do you have to be to vote for a party that despises Social Security - WHEN YOUR ASS IS LIVING ON IT?!

[Mr.Bee]

41. And We Spend!

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Republicans won't miss it. Their (R) Congresspeople will hear nothing but praise.

They will never hear a Democratic voice on the subject because they will be filtered out by their henchmen, I mean underlings.

This is the Social Darwinism we raged against when Reagan took office. You knew it would lead here. The country is cooked. Done. It's founding principles gone. It's now about power and privilege and Horatio Alger stories. If you fail, Alcatraz is reopening. Orange clings to that because it's pre-Great Society. It's what he was taught and remembers.

[vapor2]

7. I suspect there will be millions in the street

if this a**hole touches OUR money. REPUBLICANS OWN THE ENTIRE CORRUPT REGIME.

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. Collins was not concerned?

I guess that comes later.

[elocs]

9. "Bye Bye Social Security" Yes! That's the kind of good news that keeps me coming back to DU.

Somebody always delivers it.

[Nanjeanne]

10. You only want good news - there are plenty of places on DU to enjoy some fun. You can also trash any thread

you aren't interested in -- or not click on it. Lots of options. Enjoy them all!

[elocs]

11. Hey, I've trashed lots of threads in the 19 years years I have been at DU.

GD is particularly heavy on bad news. A 10/90 good news/bad news mix would be good though. We could use a pinch of hope.

[Nanjeanne]

18. There's a little x next to the thread title - click on that and it goes in the trash.

[CousinIT]

32. I would not be at all offended if people trash my threads. We're all welcome to do so.

Thankfully. GO for it!

[Meowmee]

19. Just click the trash box- it is at the top left at the bottom of the OP

I do that fairly frequently with things I can't be bothered with. It only works if you are logged in though. I think you can also filter out key words.

[Cha]

23. I agree... gratuitous Doom & Gloom..

anyway that's just an opinion.. take it for what it's worth.



TY

[Clouds Passing]

12. Arrest every one of those notsees, now!

[Silent Type]

13. Not much the new A-hole can do, but I'm sure some will try to scare every poor SS beneficiary who has

nothing else that their checks won't arrive next month.

[Joinfortmill]

15. This is the Third Rail. They better tread carefully.

[Abundance77]

16. Begining to the end

I am as scared as I can be. It so hard to accept that ALL SENATE REPUBLICANS have no heart
But I guess as of today's vote that it is true.

[senseandsensibility]

21. I wouldn't go that far

We can't give up, and I won't. You're right to be alarmed though. This is a disturbing and dangerous confirmation. There was rally to save SS yesterday with Martin O'Malley and others. It did not receive enough attention. We need to stay on this!

[CousinIT]

33. ONLY Rachel Maddow covered it, I think. Sad as hell people take Social Security for granted. nt

[DownriverDem]

24. Fight &

focus on the 2026 Midterms. We need to make sure the sometimes voters know that they are needed.

[valleyrogue]

25. Another thread to trash.

Please knock this off with "bye-bye Social Security." Seriously.

[Nanjeanne]

27. Trashing is your friend.

[Captain Zero]

36. You are the yada yada here

Seems to me.

[Nanjeanne]

43. Is that an insult? It never occurs to be to be rude to people on a message board so I must be missing something

[Cha]

64. Rec. TY

[Wiz Imp]

26. The SSA commissioner has zero control over whether

Social security is cut or discontinued or privatized. That is completely in control of Congress. This guy being confirmed changes nothing concerning the future of SS.

[elleng]

28. Thank you.

Will continue to rely on receiving my Soc Sec.

[Wiz Imp]

39. It's safe until Congress touches it.

Unfortunately, since Republicans control both the House and Senate, that could happen at any time (though they'd have to kill the filibuster to do it or somehow try to put it in a reconciliation bill). Anyway, this guy being confirmed for SSA commissioner (as horrible and corrupt as he may be) changes nothing. He is in charge of the agency NOT the actual SS Program.

[CousinIT]

34. Uh-huh. A lot of other things are the purview of Congress too but they're happpening 100% without them. nt

[Wiz Imp]

37. Not really. Regardless, if Trump want to try to do it unilaterally, he will do it.

The SSA commissioner makes no difference.

[DENVERPOPS]

42. DeJoy

being appointed commissioner of the USPS sure as hell changed a lot things....Did I hear he is resigning and turning the job over to Trump/??

[Wiz Imp]

44. DeJoy was not commissioner of USPS, he was Postmaster General

The Postmaster General is appointed by the Board of Governors. Not the President or Congress. The Postmaster General has authority over the operations of the USPS, but he does not have the ability to abolish the USPS or privatize it (which would be equivalent actions to saying "bye" to Social Security as the OP seemed to think the SSA commissioner can do - he can't). AS said elsewhere, the SSA Commissioner has authority over the agency and can implement changes in how the agency is run if he wants to, but he CAN'T change how the program is administered

[pbmus]

54. Dejoy helped throw the 16' election to

The dumpster, i am talking about sorting machines that he had removed from key post offices

[Wiz Imp]

56. Completely WRONG! Dejoy wasn't even appointed until 2020.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_DeJoy

He had nothing to do with the USPS until May of 2020.

[sprinkleeninow]

35. Plus, remember when Shrub flew around the US eating birthday cake and playing air guitar

trying to convince seniors of his plan to privatize SS? They pitched a ginormous fit and his stupid initiative came to a screeching halt.

[EdmondDantes_]

38. Bringing facts to a sky is falling thread

Always appreciated

[Cha]

65. Mahalo for Some Wisdom! Much Needed &

Appreciated.

[flashman13]

40. In 2026 21 Repug Senators are up for election. Hang this vote around their necks.

The greatest deliberative body in the world might as well go home much like the Reichstag did in 1933. Every one of the Republicans has disavowed their oath of office. Everyone of them must go.

[Wiz Imp]

47. Sorry, but very few people in the general public are going to care bout this guy being confirmed.

There will be many more voters outraged by Republican votes which confirmed Hegseth, Bondi, Kennedy & Noem (and several more) than will care about this guy.

[Rstrstx]

45. Susan Collins is trying her hardest to lose her Senate seat

She’s not even bothering with sternly worded letters anymore.

[madamesilverspurs]

46. 'Knock off all the "sky is falling" stuff . . .

Trump will never be elected!' So we were assured in 2016.

We are not living in normal times. Our long-held reliables are no longer reliable. People are justified in seeing the ominous in gathering black clouds, we can understand their apprehensions without condemning them, especially since there is no one and nothing trustworthy in the party now in control.


.

[Nanjeanne]

48. I'd post the statements from Dem Senators talking about this plan to destroy SS and how Bisignano

is going to abet that chaos - which obviously is why every single Dem voted No — but it’s honestly not worth the silly responses. The title of the OP was dramatic for a reason. To be honest I don’t expect Bisignano to declare SS gone tomorrow - but do believe that just like Kennedy and his disastrous ideas hurting our healthcare system, Bisignano (and his master, Musk) will be doing everything possible to create chaos and misery in the system to further the privatization plan.

People will have their reactions and some will be silly and some will be smart and some will make you think and some will make you want to pull your hair out. But you are so right - there is a lot we never thought would ever happen and to believe things cant happen because …. Democracy … is not the world we are living in.

[doc03]

49. Apparently, some Democrats voted for him too nt

[Bettie]

52. Nope, just checked

zero Democrats voted for him, all of the Republicans did, of course, because they apparently don't care about people.

[Wiz Imp]

57. WTF? Why would you think that.

ALL Republicans voted YES, ALL Democrats voted NO as was obviously going to happen. The majority of Senate votes are 53-47.

[Meowmee]

58. Not according to the tally, it was along party lines

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00234.htm?votes

It was 53 to 47.

Anyway we are stuck with him for 6 years now. 😩

[BigmanPigman]

50. Meanwhile, tRump's voting seniors are at the rallies NOW...

since this is a personal item for their own agenda. No tRump loving seniors were at the 22 other protests over the past 8 years that I attended. Where were they on climate change (FEMA will not come to help the red state victims as much as they did under Biden), where were they when 24 kids get shot at their school, where were they when the ACA needed support, etc.

I know where they were and they were NOT at the rallies for any of these issues. They were sitting home bitching about how horrible things are under Dem leadership. I have less than zero empathy for them. They are a part of the problem and these hypocrites coming to rallies on April 5th is BS! I also have less than zero respect for them. They voted for this sadistic, crazy, moronic fascist TWICE!!! My, my, now that their Social Security and healthcare may be on the chopping block they start to protest the GOP' 2025 agenda?!? BS!

[Jose Garcia]

55. When does it end?

[yellow dahlia]

59. We are watching a crime spree...

and the Senate Republicans are escorting the thieves to the spoils.

[Hotler]

61. Thank you Dem senators for being united as a team.

[AntiFascist]

62. This (along with everything else) will be the undoing of a Republican-controlled Congress n/t

[Jack Valentino]

63. 53-47.... Was that a strictly "party line" vote??

is the party margin of the Senate, if I recall correctly

[Nanjeanne]

66. Yes it is.