[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E356-E357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REINTRODUCTION OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD AND ERROR PREVENTION ACT

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2015

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, for nearly 80 years, Social Security has 
been the bedrock of economic security for American families. 
Generations of Americans have contributed to Social Security with every 
paycheck, earning birth-to-death protection for themselves and their 
families. As a result of their contributions--$16.1 trillion over 
Social Security's lifetime--Social Security currently has a $2.8 
trillion surplus.
  Social Security benefits are modest--about $15,000 a year for an 
average senior and even less for a disabled worker--but for most 
recipients, their Social Security paycheck is more than half their 
monthly income.
  As a representative of those Americans and the Ranking Democrat on 
the Social Security Subcommittee, I believe we have no more important 
responsibility than to make sure that Americans receive their earned 
Social Security benefits on time and in full. That means protecting 
Social Security beneficiaries from criminals and fraudsters who try to 
scam them out of their benefits, and it also means protecting Social 
Security's trust funds against fraud and errors so the money is 
available to pay earned benefits. And it means doing so in a way that 
does not delay needed benefits for honest, hard-working Americans.
  On occasion Social Security will provide a recipient more than they 
are entitled to. That overpayment rate is only a fraction of one 
percent (0.22%). Most of these overpayments are due to errors, but a 
small part is due to fraud. Social Security employees believe--and I 
agree with them--that we could do more to safeguard Social Security.
  Recently the Social Security Administration uncovered fraud 
conspiracies where Social Security contributions made by honest 
Americans were stolen to pay benefits to people who didn't earn them. 
In one of the conspiracies, the ringleaders even instructed people to 
pretend they were disabled as a result of the tragic events of 
September 11. Social Security's fraud investigators have also uncovered 
rings of criminals who electronically divert Americans' Social Security 
checks into their own bank accounts.
  The good news is, when you invest in training highly qualified 
employees to protect Social Security, it pays off. Social Security's 
front-line employees uncovered those recent cases of fraud. With the 
help of Social Security's trained investigators, the ringleaders have 
been charged with felonies, the beneficiaries have been made whole, and 
Social Security has begun the process of recovering the money stolen 
from the trust fund.
  But the bad news is that these conspiracies show that Social Security 
is a tempting target for those willing to break the law. Recent 
Republican budget cuts have made it harder for Social Security to 
develop and use effective tools to fight them.
  That's why, over a year ago, my colleagues and I decided Congress 
needed to do its part to protect Social Security. We introduced the 
Social Security Fraud and Error Prevention Act. Our bill would have 
given Social Security new tools to find fraud and errors, recoup money 
that should be in the trust funds, and thrown the book at people who 
steal from Social Security.
  Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in Congress failed to act on 
our proposal and continued to shortchange Social Security's budget. 
This lack of leadership has had consequences for Americans.
  For example, Republican budget cuts mean Social Security has fewer 
fraud cops on the beat than it had five years ago. Our bill would 
guarantee Social Security's fraud-fighting budget, expand SSA's special 
fraud-busting investigative units to cover all 50 states, and increase 
prosecutions of people who steal from Social Security.

[[Page E357]]

  Social Security has lost more than 5,000 front-line workers to budget 
cuts. And Republicans in Congress blocked hundreds of millions of 
dollars that the Budget Control Act authorized for SSA's most cost-
effective methods of preventing waste, fraud and abuse.
  Today, we are reintroducing the Social Security Fraud and Error 
Prevention Act, which would provide SSA with guaranteed funding for its 
most effective strategies to prevent fraud and errors. The bill will 
also provide additional resources to recoup benefits that shouldn't 
have been paid, along with penalties, if the payments were the result 
of fraud.
  Our measure would demand something in exchange for the guaranteed 
money: complete transparency and accountability. Social Security could 
only use the dedicated funds for the most important and effective 
strategies. SSA would have to report annually to Congress how much was 
spent and what savings their efforts generated for Social Security's 
trust funds. And the new funds would only be available for additional 
fraud and error fighting--not to replace what SSA is already spending 
out of its regular budget.
  Our bill isn't the complete answer to protecting Social Security's 
trust fund. As we consulted Social Security employees, managers, 
experts, and beneficiary advocates, they all told us the same thing: 
the best defense against fraud and errors is a well-staffed, well-
trained SSA. And for that to happen, Republicans in Congress have to 
agree to fund SSA's overall budget.
  But providing guaranteed funding to fight fraud will at least spare 
SSA from having to choose between preventing fraud and processing 
applications so that Americans receive the benefits they earned on time 
and in full.
  I hope we can work together in a bipartisan way to enact this bill 
and protect Social Security.

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