Government Audit and Accountability of Federally Funded State- Administered Programs Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the House taking up the Government Audit and Accountability of Federally Funded State-Administered Programs Act. It is a long way of saying that this is a bill to go after fraud.

I thank Congressman Tim Burchett for his partnership on this bipartisan legislation. I also thank Chairman Comer; Ranking Member Garcia; Congressman Gill; Congressman Subramanyam; my staff lead, Selene Ceja; and Kevin Fox, my legislative director, for their help in advancing this effort.

The bill is straightforward. It directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct an independent review of Federal programs that States administer on behalf of working families.

Congress has a responsibility to ensure that every tax dollar reaches the people and communities these programs are intended to serve. To do that, we need facts, data, and evidence.

The legislation helps us better understand how these programs operate across States where vulnerabilities may exist, what practices are working, and what improvements Congress should consider to stop fraud.

At its core, the bill is about prevention, accountability, and good governance. By directing the GAO to identify effective tools, technical assistance, and proven practices, we can help States strengthen program administration before problems occur, and it applies to all 50 States, so there is no politics in it.

The families who rely on these programs deserve services that are efficient, reliable, accessible, and protected.

Tackling fraud is not a partisan issue. Congress needs to continue bipartisan, evidence-based efforts to better understand how Federal funds flow through State-administered programs and how we can strengthen those systems.

I recognize Congressman Tim Burchett for his extraordinary leadership and partnership here. This bill gives us the information we need to make informed decisions and strengthen the public trust.

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