Nicole Malliotakis: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is unconscionable to me that our colleagues on the other side are actually…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is unconscionable to me that our colleagues on the other side are actually continuing to fight to protect fraudsters, going so far as to even say that if they just stole $500,000 that they should not be prosecuted. We House Republicans are fighting for transparency. We are fighting to protect taxpayers. We are exposing the waste, the fraud, and the abuse, including an estimated $100 billion to $135 billion in pandemic unemployment fraud, money that was paid for by the hardworking taxpayers of this country to help people who are going through a tough time during the COVID pandemic. Sadly, my State of New York ranks near the top of the list with an estimated $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits. The precious taxpayer dollars went to fraudsters, many overseas, including China, Russia, and Nigeria. They even went to dead people and inmates in prison. Criminals spent their money on luxury items like Rolex watches; fancy furnishings; items from Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Gucci; and even a $10 million villa in the Dominican Republic. One spent $3.5 million on a mansion in New Jersey; a chartered private jet; Porsches, Ferraris, Bentleys, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benz. Another received over $1.5 million over a span of 10 months. Meanwhile, my district offices in Staten Island and Brooklyn had to help dozens of constituents who had their identities stolen and could not get the unemployment benefits they desperately needed.…”