Taxpayers Protection Alliance Applauds Payment Integrity Act

For Immediate Release                                                 Contact: Abigail Graham: (202) 417-7235

February 9, 2023                                                                                  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the last several years, the federal government has disbursed trillions of taxpayer dollars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, due to the novelty of programs such as the paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the lack of meaningful oversight, taxpayers are now liable for billions in fraudulent claims. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is pleased to endorse the Payment Information Integrity Act which will add needed transparency amongst federal agencies.

In response, TPA President David Williams, offered the following comment:

“TPA applauds Representatives Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) for reintroducing the Payment Information Integrity Act in the 118th Congress, which would designate all programs disbursing more than $100 million as susceptible to improper payments and reinstate expired reporting requirements. This legislation will help increase transparency and accountability for agencies spending taxpayer dollars.

“Estimates suggest that around $80 billion (10 percent) of PPP money was fraudulently spent. The Small Business Administration’s Inspector General found $78.1 billion in potentially fraudulent claims for EIDL. For COVID unemployment relief, fraud estimates range from $90 billion to upwards of $400 billion. These numbers are shocking and appalling.

“Americans should have confidence that their government is thoroughly monitoring programs for waste, fraud, and abuse and that the widespread fraud that occurred through novel pandemic-related programs will not happen in the future. TPA fully supports the Payment Information Integrity Act and encourages all members to support this critical bill from Reps. Moore and Spanberger.”

###

Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.