VIDEO: Combatting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, during his weekly press call with Nebraska media, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed his work in the Senate to combat fraud, waste, and abuse.  Ricketts also highlighted how the 21 st Century ROAD to Housing Act will lower the cost of housing and make the Good Life more affordable. “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,” said Ricketts. “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.” Watch the video here . TRANSCRIPT: “First, let me share an update on the housing bill. “As of Friday, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is officially law. “This is the most comprehensive housing bill to pass Congress in 36 years. “It’s a real achievement to cut through the red tape and regulation that drives up housing costs. “For example, HUD and USDA have grant programs that they don’t work together on. “This bill will require them to work together in a streamlined manner to get their processes to get out the money faster. “The housing law will also get rid of the requirement for manufactured homes to have a trailer or chassis. “This regulatory requirement was from 50 years ago. “Removing this requirement knocks off about $10,000 from the cost of manufactured homes. “It will also get rid of the requirement to do environmental reviews on infill sites where these reviews have already happened. “We don’t need to duplicate things that have already been done. “These are just a few examples of how this law will streamline the process of building a home to be able to help bring down the cost of homes. “With that, let’s move on to what we are working on this week, which is addressing fraud, waste, and abuse. “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 said 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 the pervasive fraud and abuse in California. “Los Angeles County alone accounts for about 34% of hospice care fraud in the U.S. “A CBS News study 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 for over $100,000. “Then, they draw benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children or 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 and taking away resources from the people who it was meant for. “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 established between — they estimated rather, that between $233 billion and $521 billion a year in taxpayer money was being 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, underpays, or pays 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, and 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, like what we are seeing in Nebraska. “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 on Medicaid. “They also make sure that people cannot be enrolled in multiple states. “As we often do, Nebraska led the nation to pursue work requirements for Medicaid expansion members. “To receive Medicaid, able-bodied Americans without young kids will need to be productive in their community. “Americans will have to contribute to their community by working, volunteering, or studying for 20 hours a week. “These work requirements are less restrictive than what is currently required for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program. “That’s not too much to ask. “These requirements will help preserve the programs for who they are designed for “These will also increase participation in the workforce and save taxpayers about $250 billion. “That’s a win-win-win. “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 get 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.”