My Weekly Column: Protecting Iowa Taxpayers and Stopping Welfare Fraud
Since being elected to Congress, I have been committed to ensuring Iowa taxpayer dollars are used correctly and safeguarded from fraud. Families who work hard for their money do not deserve to have their taxpayer dollars wasted by their government. That’s why I am working with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable.
Like you, I have been disturbed by recent headlines of rampant taxpayer fraud and how elected officials have turned a blind eye to these crimes. In Minnesota, the 2020 Feeding Our Future scheme exposed $250 million dollar in fraud that federal prosecutors have called “the largest pandemic era fraud in the United States.” However, this case was only the beginning. It has since been discovered that Minnesota has been linked to $9 billion of widespread fraud across Medicaid-related housing programs, autism services, and day care centers. These welfare programs are for those who need it most, and it is outrageous that they have been exploited for personal means. This widespread fraud only demonstrates how careless oversight and lack of accountability invites this abuse.
This scandal is not only contained to the most recent cases in Minnesota. In states like California, audits have revealed billions of dollars in improper federal Medicaid reimbursements for illegal immigrants in violation of federal law. In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found that California is responsible for the majority of improper federal payments. Medi-Cal – California’s version of Medicaid – has ballooned far beyond projections which risks program insolvency, requiring emergency bailouts by Governor Newsom at taxpayer expense.
These scandals make one thing clear: Congress needs to act and protect taxpayers.
That’s why, I recently introduced the No American Benefits Abroad Act, which would codify a Trump administration announcement to ban welfare recipients from sending welfare dollars abroad and require certification that individuals initiating international wire transfers are not receiving public assistance. These public assistance programs are meant to be for those in need, not to be exploited and funneled out of the country. Simply put, if someone has enough money to send abroad, they should not be on welfare in the first place.
Beyond that, as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I recently joined Chairman Jason Smith and my Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent and Chief Executive Officer of the IRS Frank Bisignano urging stronger oversight and accountability of the nation’s non-profit sector amidst the ongoing fraud scandal in Minnesota. This scandal exposes a serious failure in oversight to protect taxpayer dollars, and I will continue working with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to ensure that what happens in Minnesota does not become a trend.
Furthermore, I also cosponsored the Deporting Fraudsters Act, which would ensure accountability by deporting and permanently barring any illegal immigrant who defrauds public assistance programs like Medicare or Social Security. The fraudulent exploitation of these programs will not be tolerated.
Iowans should not have to worry about being exploited, and the government should never be careless with their taxpayer dollars. I will keep fighting to ensure that our nation ends abuse of the public’s trust that we have seen in states like Minnesota and California. This means being a good steward of Iowa taxpayer dollars, strengthening program integrity, and ensuring that federal benefits are reserved for those who truly need them. That’s a promise I’ll keep to Iowans.