The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding Donald Trump’s nomination of finance CEO Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration.

“Every American who has paid into Social Security and expects their guaranteed benefits should have concerns about Donald Trump’s plan to nominate Frank Bisignano to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

“Nothing in Mr. Bisignano’s career suggests that he understands the unique needs of older and disabled Americans. His record in the private sector doesn’t instill confidence that he will protect beneficiaries from plans to dismantle and replace the SSA workforce with AI chatbots. We are also concerned that his decades on Wall Street will leave SSA with a cheerleader for risky schemes like allowing investment firms and crypto corporations to gamble with the trust funds and benefits that Americans paid for and earned through a lifetime of work.

“A Social Security commissioner’s first responsibility is to ensure that beneficiaries accurately receive the benefits they have earned. The commissioner is also responsible for ensuring policymakers and the American public understand the impact and consequences of any changes to the system.

“This is a critical time for the SSA and the tens of millions of Americans who rely on guaranteed monthly benefits they have earned. This fall a conservative think tank found that the combined effects of Donald Trump’s second term plans will result in the trust fund being unable to pay full benefits 3 years earlier than it would otherwise. Trump’s key advisers are talking about slashing the federal workforce, including the already severely understaffed SSA. Every day frontline SSA workers successfully deliver critical services to the American people at a low cost.

“Social Security is more than a government program. It is a sacred trust between the government and the American people. We need a commissioner who will always put the interests of beneficiaries first.”

This post was originally published on Common Dreams.