Bisignano Named IRS CEO; Confirmation Unclear

Frank Bisignano, the Social Security Administration commissioner and former Fiserv CEO, was appointed to a newly created IRS chief executive officer role and will run day-to-day operations while retaining his SSA post. He will report to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will remain the IRS's acting commissioner. Treasury has not clarified whether the new CEO role requires Senate confirmation, and critics say the arrangement appears to sidestep the confirmation process. Advocates including Kathleen Romig warned the dual-role raises conflicts over split priorities, risks from consolidating federal data, and potential encroachment on the IRS commissioner's statutory duties, and some of Bisignano's SSA customer-service claims have been disputed. The appointment comes amid deep IRS staffing cuts and tax-law changes expected to strain resources next filing season, and the administration says Bisignano's private-sector payments and technology experience and his SSA reforms will help modernize the agency and improve collections, privacy, and customer service.