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By Dan Gooding and Amanda Castro
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Frank Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to a statement by the U.S. Treasury Department on Monday.
The announcement was made by Treasury Secretary and acting IRS commissioner Scott Bessent, who confirmed that Bisignano will retain his SSA role while assuming day-to-day operational leadership of the IRS.
Why It Matters
The newly created role comes amid an ongoing federal government shutdown which has seen services greatly reduced while lawmakers in Congress struggle to reach a spending agreement, and against a backdrop of heavy cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at different agencies earlier this year.
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What To Know
Bessent said the IRS and SSA shared many of the same technological and customer service goals, making it an obvious choice to have Bisignano lead both.
The change in leadership overlaps with the government shutdown which could lead to layoffs at the agency, Bloomberg reported Monday morning. If the shutdown lasts longer than five business days, around 35,000 staff could be furloughed—around half its critical staffing number.
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Who is Frank Bisignano?
Bisignano was appointed by the Senate as SSA commissioner in May after working for more than four decades in the private financial industry.
Before his nomination by President Donald Trump, at one time withdrawn before being reinstated, Bisignano was chairman and CEO of Fiserv, a financial services and payment company.
He has been touted as someone who has led companies through transformation and growth, something Trump wants to see happen with federal departments and agencies, which he views as bloated and inefficient.
Is the Social Security Administration Open During Government Shutdown?
The SSA and Social Security payments will continue during the shutdown as it is an essential government service.
The agency does have contingency plans in place to keep a certain level of staffing in place to make sure services continue.
Is the IRS Open During Shutdown?
The IRS' functions continue, also, but with the shutdown continuing, staffing may be reduced once reserve funds are depleted.
What People Are Saying
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in a statement Monday morning: “Frank is a businessman with an exceptional track record of driving growth and efficiency in the private and now public sector. Under his leadership at the SSA, he has already made important and substantial progress, and we are pleased that he will bring this expertise to the IRS as we sharpen our focus on collections, privacy, and customer service in order to deliver better outcomes for hardworking Americans.”
What Happens Next?
It remains to be seen when the shutdown will end, with Republicans and Democrats yet to agree on a path forward, putting thousands of federal jobs at risk. Bisignano's influence on the agency may not fully be seen until funding is agreed upon.
Update 10/6/25, 10:21 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.
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