The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act heads to the U.S. House for consideration.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is celebrating after the U.S. Senate approved a measure she cosponsored designed to end government payments to people who are no longer living.
The “Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act[1]” cleared the upper chamber of Congress. It requires the U.S. Department of Treasury[2] and Social Security Administration[3] to coordinate and share data to prevent government benefit payments from going to citizens who have since passed away.
A news release issued by Moody’s Office said the measure will provide proper oversight “by the Social Security Administration in order to facilitate the identification and prevention of improper payments — for example, payments to deceased individuals.”
While the Senate approved the measure, the bill[4] still has to get final approval from the U.S. House before it heads to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Moody said the legislation is long overdue.
“Government by and for the people should run as efficiently as possible, and we owe it to the people to cut waste,” Moody said. “I’m proud to co-sponsor the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which has now passed out of the Senate, that permanently codifies coordination between the Department of Treasury and Social Security Administration to eliminate payments to dead people.”
The act was drafted by U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican. He said government payments going to dead people is an insult to taxpayers.
“It is unconscionable that hardworking Americans are forced to foot the bill for the government’s wasteful payments to dead people,” Kennedy said. “I applaud the U.S. Senate for taking bold action by passing my crucial bill to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse from our federal budget. Now, the U.S. House of Representatives ought to step up and pass this vital reform without delay.”
Some of the stipulations in the act have already started to be employed by the federal government. The coordination between the Social Security Administration and Treasury has been required for three years. But the new act would make that requirement permanent.
Others who cosponsored the bipartisan measure include Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Democratic U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, Mark Warner of Virginia and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Post Views: 0
References
- ^ Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act (www.congress.gov)
- ^ Department of Treasury (home.treasury.gov)
- ^ Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov)
- ^ the bill (www.congress.gov)