Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the COVID pandemic is over and so are many of our problems that disappeared with it, but the mushroom cloud of fraud still lingers in the air. The COVID-19 pandemic didn't just reveal cracks in the U.S. relief programs. It turned them into sinkholes. Due to a lack of guardrails, fraudsters stole hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars from numerous pandemic-era programs. Mr. Speaker, $135 billion is how much was stolen from the American people in unemployment insurance programs alone. As of today, only a paltry $5 billion has been recovered. Meanwhile, the statute of limitations is set to expire on March 27. Mr. Speaker, letting cheats get away with stealing taxpayer money would truly be a tragedy. To the fraudsters, con men, and outright thieves, I have a message to you from the American people: We want our money back, and this bill is going to help us get it. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to rise in favor of my colleague from Missouri, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith's bill, H.R. 1156, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act. This must-pass bill will extend the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions from 5 to 10 years so the Justice Department can deliver justice and go after these fraudsters and recover our money. The only answer, Mr. Speaker, is to vote ``yes.'' Let's go get them.”