Chairmen Arrington, Comer Introduce Legislation to Stop Fraud in Federal Programs

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) joined House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) in introducing legislation to protect taxpayer dollars by preventing fraud in federal programs, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act (H.R. 8464) and the Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act (H.R. 8463).

"Politicians' perpetual addiction to buying votes and Washington's abject failure to protect tax dollars have resulted in an unprecedented scale of fraud that threatens not only the sustainability of our safety net programs, but also the future economic viability of our nation. Instead of hunting down stolen money after the fact, these bills prevent improper payments and fraud from happening in the first place. If we're serious about restoring fiscal sanity to Washington, we must get serious about eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse wherever they exist. I'm proud to work with Chairman Comer to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure these programs serve the people they were intended to help-not those who seek to exploit them,"said Chairman Arrington.

"Fraud in federal programs is rampant across the country. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's investigation into Minnesota's social services programs uncovered a whopping $9 billion potentially stolen by fraudsters. These criminals enriched themselves by stealing taxpayer dollars meant to feed children, support autistic kids, and house low-income seniors and Americans with disabilities. Americans are fed up with this abuse and expect action from the government entrusted with their money. Today, I am introducing legislation to stop fraudulent payments before they go out the door and ensure taxpayer-funded programs go to their intended recipients. These long-overdue integrity measures will strengthen the federal payment system, and I look forward to advancing these bills next week at the Oversight Committee's markup," said Chairman Comer.

BACKGROUND

The Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act tackles the widespread "pay and chase" problem by preventing federal agencies from making payments when an agency has determined there is an elevated risk of fraud or the payment is likely to be improper. The bill also gives the U.S. Treasury new authority to return payment requests to agencies if they appear to be at risk for fraud. These reforms shift agency actions from recovery to prevention which protects taxpayer dollars.
Read the bill text HERE.

The Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act strengthens the federal government's financial oversight and controls by directing the U.S. Treasury to work with agencies to verify payment and payee information before payments go out the door. It reduces fraud by expanding tools like the Do Not Pay system and ensuring federal agencies have better access to accurate data to identify improper and fraudulent payments.Read the bill text HERE.

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