Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2005
EMERGENCY AND DISASTER ASSISTANCE FRAUD PENALTY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005
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Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this, and, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important piece of legislation that will work to deter fraud in the wake of disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Disaster assistance fraud is something I have been fighting for quite some time now. I recently held a hearing in the Homeland Security Investigation Subcommittee to uncover the findings of a 6-month fraud investigation by the GAO. What they found was nothing short of shocking.
The GAO testified before my subcommittee that FEMA disaster assistance after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was applied for and received by criminals who used deceased individuals' identities, and even a cemetery as an address to receive the emergency funding. Federal investigators also testified that prisoners in jail before the hurricanes were able to receive almost $11 million from their jail cells by fraudulently applying for the FEMA disaster assistance funds.
The total price tag for the fraud committed after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is not yet known; but GAO investigators have testified that it will, at the very least, be in the billions of dollars. This is an insult to the victims of these natural disasters and an insult to the ultimate victim, the American taxpayer.
Through this investigation, we have referred over 7,000 fraud cases to the Department of Justice Task Force for prosecution, and this legislation will ensure that they receive the harshest penalty for their actions.
It saddens me to think about the gulf coast families that could have used this money to rebuild their homes and their lives. We need to make sure that these disaster victims and the American taxpayer are never robbed like this again. This legislation is a great first step in making that happen, and I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for the Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act.
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