In an effort to clamp down on federal financial waste, a new bill aims to address the issue of billions in improper payments by federal agencies.
The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA), spearheaded by Republican Representative Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, is set to be introduced in Congress, according to Fox News.
“The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies by strengthening oversight, enforcing tougher penalties for noncompliance and demanding accountability at every level,” Meuser told Fox News.
Newsweek reached out to Representative Dan Meuser’s office via email on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
The new bill seeks to significantly curb the high level of improper payments reported by federal agencies, citing the $236 billion in improper payments recorded by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in fiscal year 2023.
These payments, which can be the result of fraud or administrative errors, represent a substantial drain on resources intended for critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
This bill comes in the wake of public scrutiny intensified by Elon Musk‘s claims of “the biggest fraud in history” involving payments to deceased or ineligible Social Security beneficiaries.
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What To Know
The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act, backed by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), proposes rigorous oversight and stricter compliance measures to rectify issues of improper payments.
Meuser serves as the chairman of the oversight panel of the House Financial Services Committee and is a member of the House DOGE Caucus. In his statements to Fox News, the Pennsylvania Republican emphasized the necessity of the bill, stating it aims to correct a “gross failure of accountability.”
According to the GAO, approximately $50 billion each in payment errors were found within the Medicaid and Medicare programs in 2023—$51.1 billion for Medicare and $50.3 billion for Medicaid.
The urgency of these reforms has been further highlighted by Musk’s public concerns regarding the management of Social Security payments, particularly his controversial statements about substantial sums being paid to individuals allegedly older than the oldest recorded humans.
Per data shared by Musk on X in February, nearly 20 million people over the age of 100 are receiving Social Security benefits.
A 2023 Social Security audit found 18.9 million people were listed as 100 years or older, though most of those listed were no longer receiving payments.18.4 million had not received benefits for 50 years and were likely considered deceased, and only 44,000 were actively receiving payments. Of those 44,000, just 13 were recorded as being 112 years old or older.
What People Are Saying
Representative Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania, told Fox News: “The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly and the House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and ensure tax dollars are spent as intended.”
Elon Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday: “We are increasingly optimistic that, as the immense waste & fraud are eliminated from Social Security & Medical that there is potential to increase actual dollars received by citizens & better healthcare!”
What Happens Next
The bill is scheduled for introduction in Congress this Monday. As discussions play out, the focus will be on ensuring that the reforms proposed by the PIIA not only address the current deficiencies but also safeguard against future financial discrepancies in federal spending.