Q&A: Fighting Fraud is Civics 101

Q&A: Fighting Fraud is Civics 101

With U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley

Q: What motivates your crusade to root out fraud?

A: As America celebrates the 250^th year of our nation's independence, we're obligated - as 21^st century beneficiaries of our 18^th century patriotic predecessors - to protect and uphold the American experiment for future generations. The brave patriots who declared independence from the powerful British empire pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor on a piece of parchment paper to secure the blessings of freedom. By rebuking tyranny, they placed liberty in the hands of the people through our system of self-government. This bold experiment was unique in human history and challenges each successive generation to rise to the test of civic virtue for the public good. That includes fighting fraud that undermines faith in government.

Since Iowans elected me to Congress, I've brought a tight-fisted fiscal mindset to the public purse. Every tax dollar deserves robust scrutiny as it makes its way through the spending pipeline. Iowans may have different opinions on how taxpayer dollars are spent, from boosting military readiness to upgrading roads and bridges, strengthening the farm safety net, improving childcare and nutrition programs or bolstering social services for the elderly. No matter which priorities are important to people from across the ideological spectrum - from those wanting more government intervention in the economy to those wanting more tax relief for entrepreneurial innovation - Americans ought to agree that every dollar from the federal treasury merits scrutiny to deter waste, fraud and abuse. After all, every dollar lost to fraud, is one less dollar for their priority.

In the wake of shocking allegations exposing massive public benefits fraud in Minnesota and elsewhere, I welcome the administration declaring "war on fraud" as President Trump announced during his State of the Union address. This effort will amplify efforts in Congress and across federal agencies to unhitch looters from riding Washington's gravy train. Since the earliest days of our republic, bad actors have sought to enrich themselves at taxpayer expense. President Abraham Lincoln enacted "Lincoln's Law" to expose contractors defrauding the Union Army. Four decades ago, I updated the Civil War era False Claims Act by beefing up incentives for whistleblowers to report fraud and wasteful spending. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I leverage my legislative and oversight authority to strengthen protections for whistleblowers and ensure the courts don't water down the federal government's #1 tool to fight fraud. In fact, since my 1986 amendments, the False Claims Act has been used to recover $85 billion. Just last year, the government recovered more than $6.8 billion, the highest single-year recovery in its history. Whistleblowers were responsible for helping recover over $5.3 billion of that amount. What's more, my amendments are credited with keeping untold billions from the pockets of would-be fraudsters.

Fighting fraud is a civic duty. My bipartisan approach is rooted in Civics 101. I leave no stone unturned to uphold the public interest, protect the integrity of tax dollars and stop scammers from stealing from federal programs.

Q: Why did the Trump administration create a new national fraud enforcement division?

A: Following the revelations of staggering fraud in Minnesota and other states, the Trump administration announced a new fraud enforcement division within the Department of Justice (DOJ). According to the DOJ, the new fraud enforcement division will develop national enforcement priorities to identify, disrupt, and dismantle sophisticated fraud schemes. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I led a confirmation hearing for the nominee to lead this division as an Assistant Attorney General. In my opening statement, I made clear that fighting fraud ought to be a nonpartisan issue. We need all hands on deck to root out the rot that fleeces taxpayers and undermines public trust in government. I was glad to hear nominee Colin McDonald agreed with this approach, "I will work with everyone - Congress, the inspectors general community, federal partners and state partners, regardless of political party - to build and lead a national fraud enforcement division that restores faith in our taxpayer funded programs."

During the hearing, I also pressed the nominee about measures the new enforcement division will undertake to protect older Americans from fraud. It's estimated individuals age 60 and older are ripped off by at least $28 billion every year. Elder financial exploitation has been called "the crime of the 21st century." As the author of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, I'll continue my oversight work to stop criminals from preying on the elderly and stealing public benefits the government provides for housing, nutrition and other services.

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