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ICYMI: Ernst Legislation to Stop Billions in Bogus Payments

New bill makes permanent Trump Executive Order to stop waste, fraud, and abuse.

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is codifying one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) largest cost savings actions to identify and stop fraudulent and improper payments after more than $160 billion occurred in Fiscal Year 2024.

The Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act enacts a strict anti-fraud process before the government is allowed to spend a dime to effectively eliminate improper payments and safeguard tax dollars. The bill also requires annual verifications of payment accuracy for ongoing transactions and increases transparency by requiring the public disclosure of every payment on the USASpending.gov website.

Here is some of the coverage:

New York Post | GOP senators push to cement core Musk-inspired DOGE savings at Treasury

A group of Republican lawmakers is pushing to cement some of the core reforms enacted at the Treasury by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”

Fox News | DOGE will go on: Hill pork hawk says rooting out government waste will continue after Elon

The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left.”

Politico | GOP senators look to codify DOGE operations of Treasury payment systems

Congressional DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) will introduce legislation next week to codify changes that the cost-cutting operation once led by Elon Musk made to the Treasury Department’s payments system.”

Breitbart | Sen. Joni Ernst: Bureaucrats ‘Asleep at the Wheel,’ Let Fraudsters Take $79 Billion in Coronavirus Aid Without Using Basic Safeguard to Prevent Fraud

Following the release of the report, Ernst introduced a bill, the DOGE in Spending Act, on Friday that would require basic questions to be asked to eliminate improper payments government-wide.”

Daily Wire | DOGE Caucus Introduces Bill Aimed At $162 Billion In ‘Improper Payments’

The bill comes the same week that the government’s COVID watchdog released a report titled “Pre-Award Vetting Using Data Analytics Could Have Prevented Over $79 Billion in Potentially Fraudulent Pandemic Relief Payments.’”

Daily Caller | Joni Ernst Introduces First Major DOGE Bill That Could Save Taxpayers

The legislation, the Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, would mandate compliance provisions from a March 25 executive order by President Donald Trump that instituted new procedures to prevent fraudulent payments, including validating recipients of payments and also by coding the payments with information linking them to budget items.”

Washington Examiner | Congressional DOGE Republicans move to codify protections against fraudulent payments

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) introduced the Delivering On Government Efficiency in Spending Act, which would codify reforms by the DOGE, forcing the Treasury Department to implement a new system providing more information for payments.”

Townhall | Ernst and Bean Unleash DOGE Spending Act to Crack Down on Waste, Support Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) are teaming up to introduce a commonsense bill that would codify one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) most significant cost-cutting measures.”

National Review | Republican Lawmakers Introduce DOGE Legislation to Combat Billions in Wasteful Spending

Ernst and Bean’s legislation codifies sections three and four of President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,” designed for Treasury to verify agency payment information and implement the verification process.”

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