When the pandemic hit, criminals stole billions in taxpayer dollars meant for Americans who lost their jobs. In February, Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito found that around $912 million taxpayer dollars were frozen in 6.5 million prepaid debit cards and banks—if financial institutions had not frozen the funds, all of those dollars could have been lost to fraud and abuse.  

Republicans in the House acted so that doesn’t happen by passing the RECOVER COVID Unemployment Fraud in Banks Act. The bill creates a special task force for tracking that money down, for working with the banks and states holding it, and for returning it back to the taxpayers it was taken from. 

It also gives law enforcement more time to go after the fraudsters. The window to prosecute this fraud had already started to close—so we doubled it, extending the deadline from five years to ten because the people who stole this money don't get to run out the clock.

House Republicans will keep going after fraud, wherever it shows up and however long it takes to get it back—because the days of zero accountability are over. The bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate. I will keep you updated on it’s progress along the way.