Gillibrand, Colleagues Press Commissioner Bisignano On Mismanagement, Mistreatment Of Workers At Social Security Administration, IRS

Decision to limit paid annual and sick leave will affect over 120,000 IRS and SSA workers U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Aging, joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in sending a letter to Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Chief Executive Officer of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), on their concerns about his mistreatment of agency employees after obtaining a circulated internal memo that indicates that he will strip SSA and IRS of advanced annual leave and sick leave. “The Trump administration has starved the Social Security Administration and the IRS of the resources they need to provide critical services to millions of Americans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Limiting paid leave will only further push away quality workers from these agencies and cause increased wait times, more frustration, and real hardship for families trying to access essential benefits and file their taxes. I am demanding that the administration immediately reverse this decision and ensure that every American can count on the services they need.” Workers at the Social Security Administration and the IRS receive advance paid leave policies that allow them to take time off before it is officially accrued, a common practice across the federal workforce. Advanced leave grants employees the ability to respond to health and family emergencies and has long been a part of the federal government’s efforts to provide the workplace conditions needed to attract and retain the most qualified individuals to serve the American people. But an internal memorandum indicated that Bisignano, the head of SSA and IRS, would strip agency employees of these benefits. “We are concerned that this policy will further weaken the already stressed resources of these agencies, leaving the American people with degraded access to their rightful Social Security benefits and needed IRS services,” the senators wrote. “…(Y)ou have imposed a cruel and unjustified plan that is likely to drive additional employees out the door, doubling down on the Administration’s already disastrous efforts to push out federal employees.” The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut over 32,000 employees from the IRS and the SSA in 2025, diminishing customer service at these agencies. Suspending advanced annual and sick leave will make matters worse, pushing out federal employees and directly hurting Americans who need assistance from the SSA and IRS. These fresh cuts could delay access to benefits and critical tax refunds. “(T)his latest action to eliminate a workplace benefit could contribute to increasingly dire conditions for agency staff, negatively impacting morale and employee retention and — if the agencies lose additional workers — hurting taxpayers and Social Security recipients,” the senators continued. The senators urged Bisignano to reverse this decision and immediately restore advanced leave at the SSA and IRS. They further requested that SSA and IRS provide more details on the suspension of advanced paid leave policies at both agencies by no later than October 6, 2026. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Senator Gillibrand is a staunch supporter of Social Security and has fought the Trump administration’s cuts and overhauls at SSA. In March, she launched an investigation into SSA’s ongoing customer service crisis, after staffing cuts and reassignments left the agency unable to fully serve the 75 million Americans who rely on the program. She has also rallied alongside seniors and unions to demand a reversal of staffing and service cuts, and she pressed SSA on its plans to close field offices and make it harder for Americans to get their benefits. The full text of the letter is available HERE . ###