Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Estimates Double to $100-$135 Billion; Smith and Crapo Call for Action.

Press Release

"I am extremely alarmed by these findings and even more convinced that immediate action is needed to recover as much taxpayer dollars as possible. Unemployment fraud punishes workers and families by taking resources away from law abiding Americans who deserve assistance and puts those resources directly in the pockets of criminals. The unfortunate reality is that every day President Biden spends ignoring this problem, the chances of recovering stolen tax dollars on behalf of these fraud victims grow less.

The fraud detailed in this report represents the greatest theft of taxpayer dollars in American history, and underscores the dire need for Senate Democrats to take immediate action, as our Committee did in the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act which passed the House in May with bipartisan support.

I appreciate the partnership of Senator Crapo in introducing a companion bill that will tackle UI fraud head on by incentivizing states to go after fraudsters and improving prevention measures so this never happens again."

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