Sen. Lankford Introduces Bills Targeting COVID-19 Government Waste

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., the lead GOP negotiator on a border-foreign aid package, speaks with reporters outside the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. Any bipartisan b

Sen. James Lankford, a founding member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, is spearheading the introduction of a legislative package aimed at addressing government waste related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oklahoma Republican is set to unveil two bills targeting fraud in pandemic relief programs.

One of the bills focuses on combating unemployment fraud by allowing states to suspend payments to claimants suspected of fraudulent activities. This measure seeks to close loopholes that have allowed fraudsters to exploit the system, resulting in significant financial losses for taxpayers.

The second bill extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting COVID-19 recovery fund fraud, encompassing various relief programs such as the Coronavirus Relief Fund, Economic Impact Payments, and Unemployment Insurance. This extension aims to provide law enforcement agencies and oversight partners with additional time to investigate and hold accountable those involved in fraudulent activities.

Eugene Dodaro, the Comptroller of the Government Accountability Office, has expressed support for the bill addressing COVID relief fraud, emphasizing the importance of extending the statute of limitations to enhance fraud-related investigations.

Bills target unemployment fraud and extend statute of limitations for COVID-19 recovery fund fraud.

Sen. Lankford leads legislative efforts to address pandemic-related government waste.

Measures aim to close loopholes and hold fraudsters accountable, supported by Comptroller Dodaro.

President-elect Donald Trump had previously announced the formation of the DOGE advisory board, with billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appointed to lead the initiative. The objective of the DOGE Caucus is to streamline government operations, reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, and eliminate wasteful expenditures.

Following Trump's announcement, caucuses were established in both the House and Senate, with lawmakers such as Reps. Aaron Bean, Pete Sessions, and Blake Moore, along with Sen. Joni Ernst, taking leadership roles. Sen. Ernst is a co-sponsor of Sen. Lankford's bill targeting COVID fraud.

Elon Musk, during an October rally, expressed optimism about the potential for the DOGE initiative to generate substantial savings, estimating a possible reduction of up to $2 trillion in government spending.