Rep. Mike Thompson Co-Authored Bill to Reduce Wasteful Spending By Creating a National 'Do Not Pay List' Passes House
December 13, 2012
Legislation builds on Law Signed Last Year to Reduce Waste, Fraud and Abuse in Government
Bipartisan legislation co-authored by Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) that provides better protection for taxpayer dollars today passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 402-0. The legislation, H.R. 4053, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act (IPERIA), will better identify, prevent and recover payment error, waste, fraud and abuse within federal spending by making sure federal agencies have policies in place to prevent and recover improper payments.
“Taxpayers deserve to know that there money is being spent wisely and monitored closely,” said Thompson. “Every dollar counts. This bill will help us lower our debt by cutting down on billions in wasteful spending.”
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), federal agencies reported an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments in FY2010. Among many other provisions, this new bill will help federal agencies cut down on wasteful spending by creating a government-wide Do Not Pay List to block improper payments before they go out and to stop payments to deceased individuals, such as for Social Security.
This legislation builds on a similar improper payments law passed last year, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, which was part of the Blue Dogs' Blueprint for Fiscal Reform - a 15-point plan to balance the budget and lay the groundwork for sound fiscal policies over the long term.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
“Taxpayers deserve to know that there money is being spent wisely and monitored closely,” said Thompson. “Every dollar counts. This bill will help us lower our debt by cutting down on billions in wasteful spending.”
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), federal agencies reported an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments in FY2010. Among many other provisions, this new bill will help federal agencies cut down on wasteful spending by creating a government-wide Do Not Pay List to block improper payments before they go out and to stop payments to deceased individuals, such as for Social Security.
This legislation builds on a similar improper payments law passed last year, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, which was part of the Blue Dogs' Blueprint for Fiscal Reform - a 15-point plan to balance the budget and lay the groundwork for sound fiscal policies over the long term.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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Issues:Fiscal Responsibility