The federal government of the United States has an obligation to maintain the highest standard of accountability to the American people. Families working hard to make ends meet, paying taxes to the federal government, rightfully expect a government which treats their hard-earned money with respect.
Faced with the consequences of four years of runaway spending, mounting debt, and failed economic leadership from the Biden administration, getting our fiscal house in order is a monumental task. It begins with shedding light on waste, fraud, and abuse in our overgrown bureaucracy and includes getting back to regular order in Congress’ annual process to allocate federal spending.
Our appropriations process is broken. To properly address spending for the upcoming fiscal year, Congress must get back to considering and passing the 12 annual appropriations bills individually, on time. This has only happened four times since 1977, but it is the best way to conduct the productive debate necessary to restore fiscal responsibility.
To get back on track toward regular order, while ensuring continuity for veterans’ healthcare and benefits, Social Security, Medicare, and other critical government services, this week the House passed legislation to fund the federal government through the current fiscal year. The House bill also includes the largest pay raise for American junior enlisted servicemembers since the 1980s. It’s disappointing nearly every Democrat in the House voted against this bill.
Rather than shutting down the government, Republicans want to improve it. By applying smart policy, we can better steward government resources and improve outcomes for the American people rather than simply throwing money at inefficiencies.
I have consistently fought to hold the IRS and other government agencies accountable to fulfill their mission to serve taxpayers. This is why I continue to champion efforts to reclaim the $80 billion Democrats poured into the IRS to hire 87,000 new agents through the 2022 Inflation Act. The government funding legislation I supported this week includes another $20.2 billion reduction of this IRS funding.
This week, the House also passed bipartisan legislation called the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, which I cosponsored. A 2023 report from the Government Accountability Office estimated as much as $100-$135 billion in unemployment benefits were lost to fraud during COVID—only about $5 billion of which has been recovered. The statute of limitations on prosecuting fraudsters who stole these taxpayer funds is set to expire near the end of this month. To hold such criminals accountable, this bill extends the statute of limitations for an additional five years.
I am grateful President Trump has rightfully identified the incredible potential to answer the American people’s demands to restore fiscal responsibility. The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, is taking significant strides toward reining in misuse of taxpayer funds. I also appreciate this administration’s commitment to maximize accountability, including the transparency provided by sharing DOGE’s estimated $115 billion in taxpayer savings through an online dashboard.
As I seek to support this effort on behalf of Nebraskans, I welcome your input. Third District constituents can submit recommendations on how DOGE can best identify opportunities for greater efficiency and save taxpayer dollars by visiting my website at AdrianSmith.house.gov/contact/Government-Efficiency.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in a 1789 letter, “…wherever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.” For too long, a lack of accountability has darkened our fiscal future. To overcome our serious economic challenges, we must restore accountability, rein in federal spending, and spur economic growth. I will continue to advocate for the best interests of the Third District so our communities can flourish.