James Comer is Chairman of the House Oversight Committee. | https://oversight.house.gov/chairman-james-comer/
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer announced on Apr. 24 that the committee will hold a markup session on Wednesday, April 29 at 10:00am ET to consider legislation aimed at protecting taxpayer funds and addressing fraud in federal programs.
The scheduled markup comes as concerns grow over significant losses due to fraudulent activities in government-funded initiatives. The Government Accountability Office estimates that between $233 billion and $521 billion is lost annually due to fraud specifically. The committee has also uncovered widespread fraud in Minnesota and California within state-administered, federally funded programs.
Comer said, “Let’s be clear: fraud in federal programs has gone unchecked for far too long. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has acted swiftly to expose widespread theft of taxpayer funds, working alongside the Trump Administration to crack down on fraud and hold fraudsters accountable nationwide. Our oversight has exposed how fraudsters in Minnesota stole taxpayer dollars meant to feed children, support autistic kids, and house low-income seniors and Americans with disabilities. We are now moving to pass strong legislative reforms to stop fraudulent payments before they go out the door and ensure taxpayer-funded programs are working as intended for the American people. The Oversight Committee is delivering on its mission to root out waste and fraud and advance real reforms to stop it from happening again.”
Among the bills set for consideration are measures that would strengthen payment verification processes (H.R. 8463), prevent agencies from making high-risk payments (H.R. 8464), establish a permanent Inspector General for Fraud within the Treasury (H.R. 8312), require ongoing risk assessments (H.R. 8467), mandate anti-fraud workforce training (H.R. 8428), improve emergency spending controls (H.R. 8466), clarify agency financial oversight responsibilities (H.R. 8340), expand access of States to verification tools like Do Not Pay system (H.R. 1755), and direct recurring audits of state-administered programs most vulnerable to waste or abuse (H.R. 8107).
The markup will take place at Room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, is open to both public and press, and will be livestreamed online.
