Representative Dan Meuser, a Republican and a member of the House DOGE caucus, introduced a new bill that aims to tackle overpayments made by the federal government on Monday.
The Payment Integrity Information Reform will “ensure stronger oversight, enforce real consequences for noncompliance, and prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted through fraud and bureaucratic negligence,” Meuser said in a statement provided to Newsweek.
In a news release, his office said the legislation “strengthens oversight, imposes penalties for noncompliance, and demands greater accountability from federal agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent as intended.
Why It Matters
Billionaire Elon Musk is leading President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal government and reduce spending. However, it has come under fire and is facing legal challenges over firing thousands of government workers and dismantling federal agencies.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has made an estimated $65 billion in cuts so far, according to a tracker on its website—a far cry from Musk’s original goal of slashing $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion federal budget.
The new bill follows Trump and Musk’s claims that millions of dead people are fraudulently receiving Social Security, which has been debunked.
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What To Know
The legislation would establish an “overpayment czar” within the Office of Federal Financial Management at the Office of Management and Budget to identify and reduce improper payments, require federal agencies to develop and implement strict plans to reduce payment errors and impose penalties for noncompliance with payment integrity laws, according to a news release from Meuser’s office.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the work of Elon Musk and the DOGE team, we’ve already uncovered $55 billion—and counting—in waste across the federal government, but the problem runs far deeper,” Meuser said.
“The federal government expended $236 billion last year in improper payments, which is a gross failure of accountability that hardworking American taxpayers should not tolerate. The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies.”
The Government Accountability Office reported that 14 federal agencies made $236 billion in improper payments in the 2023 fiscal year, down just about $11 billion from the prior year.
It said improper Medicare and Medicaid payments accounted for about $50 billion each, while improper COVID-19 unemployment assistance payments accounted for $43.6 billion.
What People Are Saying
Representative Dan Meuser, in a statement: “The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly, and this bill will help ensure stronger oversight, enforce real consequences for noncompliance, and prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted through fraud and bureaucratic negligence.
“The House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and address waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Elon Musk, Monday on X (formerly Twitter): “We are increasingly optimistic that, as the immense waste & fraud are eliminated from Social Security & Medical that there is potential to increase actual dollars received by citizens & better healthcare!”
What Happens Next
Meuser’s bill has been referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
