On the recordDecember 13, 2012
I thank the gentleman, my good friend from New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act, a bill that will help the Federal Government better protect taxpayer dollars against waste, fraud, and abuse. According to the Government Accountability Office, as my friend from Utah just said, the Federal Government made $108 billion in improper payments during fiscal year 2012 alone, which is unacceptable. This bill will increase transparency while eliminating and recovering these improper payments through the creation of a government-wide do-not-pay list. This list will prevent improper payments, such as Social Security checks for deceased Americans, before that payment ever goes out. The national deficit remains one of the biggest challenges facing this country, and I am proud to cosponsor this bill because it protects taxpayer dollars by forcing the Federal Government to scrutinize every dollar spent--just like every American family does. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.
