Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ranking member of the HSGAC Subcommittee on Spending Oversight, introduced a new bill on March 28 to help strengthen oversight of Federal spending and reduce fraud.
The bipartisan Government Spending Oversight Act would establish the Government Spending Oversight Committee, a successor to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) – which is scheduled to sunset on Sept. 30, 2025.
Congress created the PRAC as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020 to help combat COVID-19 fraud. Notably, the PRAC created a shared data analytics center that powers pandemic-related investigations across Federal agencies, which it estimates has led to the recovery of $1.95 billion of stolen funds.
“With the national debt now exceeding $34 trillion, Congress should pursue commonsense solutions – like leveraging data analytics – to combat fraud and protect taxpayer dollars,” Sen. Romney said in a statement.
“This bill would allow PRAC’s successor – the Government Spending and Oversight Committee – to continue its oversight of pandemic-related funds, while also expanding its scope to encompass additional Federal spending, including Small Business Administration loans, unemployment insurance, and some of the largest spending programs enacted last Congress,” he added.
The bill would extend PRAC’s analytics capabilities, and authorize the new Government Spending Oversight Committee to coordinate with relevant inspectors general (IGs) on investigations, reviews, and audits.
Specifically, the new committee would provide support including through data analytics, enhanced data-sharing, and improved data management practices.
“It’s our duty to ensure government is working efficiently and effectively for the American people,” said Sen. Peters.?“One of the simplest ways to do that is to ensure taxpayer money is going to good use. My new bipartisan bill will provide critical tools to identify and prevent fraud in Federal government spending.”
The bill comes after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called on Congress last fall to establish a permanent analytics center of excellence to help the oversight community better identify improper payments and fraud.
“I am very pleased that this incorporates one of GAO’s recommendations to help the Federal government better combat fraud, waste, and abuse in its programs and spending. It is a step in the right direction in enhancing the accountability and transparency over Federal funds on behalf of the American people,” said Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of GAO.
Michael E. Horowitz, chair of the PRAC, also voiced his support for the new legislation, noting that it’s “critical” to maintain the “data analytics capability of the PRAC beyond the PRAC’s scheduled sunset date.”
“I support the bipartisan legislation, the ‘Government Spending Oversight Act of 2024,’ which represents an important step forward in maintaining this valuable fraud prevention and fraud-fighting tool,” Horowitz said. “I thank Chairman Gary Peters and Senator Mitt Romney for their bipartisan leadership on this good government initiative that will improve the integrity of Federal programs, and protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.”
