Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, since House Republicans have been in control, we have brought transparency to the people's House. We are the ones who are protecting taxpayers. We are the ones exposing waste, fraud, and abuse, including as high as $400 billion in COVID relief and unemployment fraud.

Sadly, my home State of New York ranks near the top of the list, with an estimated $11 billion in this fraudulent unemployment benefits. These taxpayer dollars went to fraudsters, many overseas, as far as China, Russia, and Nigeria. They even went to dead people.

They spent it on Rolex watches, fancy furnishings, and designer goods at Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Burberry, Gucci; $10 million on a villa in the Dominican Republic; $3.5 million on a mansion in New Jersey; a charter jet to get the fraudster who purchased it to and from; Porsches, Ferraris, Bentleys, BMWs, and Mercedes Benz. One person even received $1.5 million over a span of 10 months.

Meanwhile, my district offices in Staten Island and Brooklyn had to help dozens of constituents who had their identities stolen and could not get the unemployment benefits they desperately needed.

New York had to take an $8 billion loan from the Federal Government, which it has not paid back yet, by the way, to cover all of this. Now, our small businesses are paying the price with higher unemployment assessments.

The bottom line is, this bill would help crack down on this type of fraud, would give law enforcement the statute of limitations it needs for criminal charges or civil actions, incentivizes States to help us crack down and recover these fraudulent payments, and stops unemployment insurance payments to incarcerated and deceased people.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know how anyone can't support this bill. Thank you.

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