Democrats Block Ernst Effort to Protect Taxpayer Dollars from Fraudsters

WASHINGTON - Today, Democrats blocked passage of Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) comprehensive, bipartisan anti-fraud package, that could have saved American taxpayers approximately $240 billion. Senator Ernst called on her colleagues to pass this critical legislation to prevent fraudsters from stealing $1.4 billion every single day, but Senate Democrats objected.

Following the massive fraud schemes that were uncovered in Minnesota and Ohio, Ernst has been fighting to pass her bill that would recover stolen funds, protect taxpayer dollars, and stop fraudsters.

Yesterday, Ernst exposed a list of con artists who fraudulently billed government programs for over one billion dollars, highlighting that "if grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would be the fifth largest."

Watch Senator Ernst's remarks here.

Ernst's full remarks as delivered:

"Mr. President, while hardworking Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities, there's one class of people who've never had it better: Fraudsters

"Scammers are stealing more than $1.4 billion from taxpayers every day.

"Yesterday, I released a list of con artists who each fraudulently billed government programs for ONE BILLION DOLLARS or more.

"These billionaire bandits looted programs for the elderly, poor, disabled, and veterans to lavish themselves with million-dollar mansions, Rolex watches, expensive jewelry, and luxury cars.

"One fraudster brags, 'I had everything. I had houses, I had cars, I had watches.'

"He ripped off Medicare for over a decade before getting turned in, and says, 'It's just so easy. It's unbelievable.'

"Based upon the numbers, he isn't lying.

"If grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would be the fifth largest.

"The $521 billion going to fraud every year exceeds the individual annual budgets of the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Homeland Security, State, and Justice.

"That's right, folks, fraudsters are being better taken care of than our veterans and farmers.

"Fraud is not a victimless crime, either.

"In fact, it has far-reaching consequences.

"We've learned taxpayer dollars stolen from U.S. Small Business Administration financed the assassination, yes, you heard it right, the assassination of Haiti's president in 2021.

"A team of Colombian mercenaries and their pistols, rifles, and tactical gear were all paid for with the support of $840,000 fraudulently obtained from the SBA.

"The political instability resulting from the assassination forced hundreds of thousands of Haitians to flee their nation, taking refuge in the United States.

"The Biden administration provided many of these migrants with food stamps and medical care, also paid for by Americans taxpayers.

"The inability to safeguard small business assistance resulted in taxpayers footing the bills for both the crime and its consequences.

"Many of these scams also involve identity theft that upend the lives of the unsuspecting Americans who then must suffer the consequences.

"For example, the Medicare number of a woman in California was stolen by scammers who used it to fraudulently bill for hospice care.

"When she sought physical therapy for an injury, Medicare denied her coverage because she was listed as dying in hospice.

"Think about that.

"The same government agency that wouldn't provide her with the health care she was promised, approved and paid for bogus medical bills submitted by scammers using her information.

"Medicare exists to ensure folks like her receive medically necessary care, not to make billionaires out of fraudsters.

"Yet, the identities and personal information of more than one million Americans have been stolen by Medicare mobsters to file phony health care claims.

"One illegal alien submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health insurers over just six months using stolen identities.

"He laundered millions of the stolen tax dollars overseas to the Russian mob before some of his victims alerted Medicare that they were not receiving notices for care and items they did not receive prescribed by doctors they had not visited.

"Another con artist orchestrated a billion-dollar fraud machine that used foreign call centers to submit bogus bills.

"He treated programs meant to care for the elderly, veterans, and servicemembers like his own personal cash register.

"From fake day care centers to phony small businesses, the examples are absolutely endless, but the public's patience is not.

"According to the latest Gallup poll, nine out of ten Americans say government corruption is widespread, that's a record-high number.

"I challenge you to find any other issue where Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree with each other more strongly.

"We owe it to all Americans to stop the government grift.

"My Protecting American Taxpayers Act would do just that by-

" Stopping government agencies from handing out quick cash with no questions asked; triggering automatic investigations when there are sudden and suspicious spikes in payment claims; banning convicted fraudsters from receiving taxpayer dollars; taking back the money that was already stolen; and sending those darn scammers to the slammer.

"If enacted, this bill could save $240 billion. That's 'billion' with a B, folks.

"The choice is quite simple: Give the money to fraudsters or return it to taxpayers.

"What would really be criminal is if the Senate left town today without passing this meaningful legislation to eliminate fraud."

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