During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about the nomination of Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Social Security. Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee heard from Frank Bisignano, nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Social Security Administration.
00:13To confirm Mr. Bisignano as the head of Social Security is like hiring an arsonist to run a fire station.
00:22His claim to fame is cutting and shrinking the companies that he's been part of.
00:28A yes vote on Bisignano is a vote to cut Social Security. I say that to my Republican colleagues.
00:36You vote yes on Bisignano, you're voting to cut Social Security.
00:41The Senate should oppose his confirmation.
00:44Mr. Bisignano would be a disaster because at this very moment, in fact, because of what Trump has already done, the Social Security Administration is in crisis.
00:55Yesterday, Senate Democrats released a report detailing exactly what is happening now to the Social Security Administration and how Americans are going to suffer.
01:06Up to 60% of all regional offices are shutting down.
01:10Dozens of field offices will be closed.
01:137,000 workers are being laid off. 12% of the entire staff.
01:19Cutting staff means people with disabilities could be waiting up to three years.
01:25Three years!
01:27Disabled people who are entitled to Social Security, three years to get their benefits.
01:33Wait time over the phones will explode.
01:36Seniors are already having to wait over two hours, sometimes longer it is reported, to get someone on the phone.
01:46Why are they doing this?
01:48Why is Donald Trump and Elon Musk doing this?
01:51The goal of Trump and Musk is clear.
01:54Destroy Social Security from within.
01:59Make it so unworkable, so inefficient, that Donald Trump has a pretext to cut benefits and privatize the program.
02:08Republicans are saying it loud and clear.
02:11Donald Trump said it in his address to the joint session.
02:16This administration, the Trump-Musk administration, are coming after Social Security.
02:21And why are they doing such a horrible thing?
02:24To cut taxes for billionaires like Elon Musk.
02:28Senate Republicans should be using their majority to protect Americans' benefits, not destroy them.
02:33Senate Republicans should be demanding Elon Musk reverse the firing of the 7,000 staffers, reopen the field offices, restore the phone services.
02:43Senate Republicans haven't done any of that.
02:46It's shameful and they are complicit in destroying Social Security the way Musk intends to do.