Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Combatting Fraud, Waste and Abuse Will Preserve Our Nation

Nebraskans are honest, trusting people. We expect others to behave the same way. However, that's not always the case.

Too many people are stealing and abusing tax dollars. These people lie and cheat to line their own pockets. In some cases, they send stolen money overseas. This illegal behavior drives up the cost of living. It also burdens programs meant to help Americans who need it. Too many politicians made stealing from the government easy. I'm fighting to put an end to this fraud, waste, and abuse.

The Trump Administration has unearthed widespread misuse of government resources. In Minnesota and California, we've learned of extensive fraud and abuse. A federal prosecutor found that at least half of the Medicaid funding for 14 Minnesota-run programs was stolen. That's at least $9 billion in taxpayer money. In one case in California, over $50 million in Medicare benefits were stolen. This is just one example of pervasive fraud and abuse in California. Los Angeles County alone accounts for about 34% of hospice care fraud in the U.S. CBS News found that 93% of Los Angeles County hospice care providers have at least one indication of fraud. Funds meant to support those in hospice are being used for personal gain.

Even in Nebraska, our state auditor has found abuse. People live in homes worth half a million dollars and receive paychecks over $100,000. Then, they draw benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. WIC wasn't designed for those folks. WIC is a safety net designed to help women, infants, and children in need. We must stop people from abusing this program. They are taking away resources from the people who need them.

To build on these efforts, I co-founded the new Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force. We are identifying vulnerabilities in existing programs. We're strengthening government accountability. And we're ensuring proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The Government Accountability Office looked at fraud between 2018 and 2022. They estimated that between $233 billion and $521 billion a year in taxpayer money was stolen. We are working to stop this bleeding of taxpayer dollars.

I also have a bipartisan bill to increase transparency on improper federal payments. Improper payments are when the government overpays or underpays. It's also when they pay the wrong person. The Improper Payments Transparency Act would require the President to provide data on improper payments in the annual budget request. Transparency brings accountability. My bill is included in the Protecting American Taxpayers Act. This is a legislative package to combat fraud. We expect to vote on it soon.

The Working Families Tax Cuts also fights against fraud. We placed work and eligibility requirements on Medicaid and SNAP. We did this to prevent abuse of American taxpayer dollars. Medicaid and SNAP should benefit moms and children, the elderly, and the disabled. That's who these programs were created for. These reforms ensure that dead people do not remain enrolled in Medicaid. They also make sure that people cannot be enrolled in multiple states.

As we often do, Nebraska led the nation on these reforms. To receive Medicaid, able-bodied Americans without young kids will need to be productive. These people will have to contribute to their community by working, volunteering, or studying for 20 hours a week. These requirements are less restrictive than what is currently required for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. That's not too much to ask. These requirements will help preserve the programs for who they were designed for. They will also increase workforce participation and save taxpayers $250 billion.

We also tightened requirements on illegal immigrants. Our system was never intended to subsidize non-Americans. There were over 1.2 million illegal immigrants receiving Medicaid benefits. These reforms make sure only Americans can receive government assistance.

Fraudsters have stolen from Nebraskans and the American people for too long. I am working to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. We need to protect Americans, our tax dollars, and our values. This is how we preserve our great nation for another 250 years.

My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224. You can also view my website at https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.