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Home: News Center: Columns
Weeding Out Waste, Fraud And Abuse From Social Security
Cleaning Up The System
Thursday, February 27, 2003
By: Senator Jim Bunning
Social Security is one of this country’s most important government programs. Millions of retired and disabled Americans depend on their Social Security checks each month as a reliable source of income. In 2002, $500 billion in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits were paid to nearly 53 million retired and disabled workers.
But, over the long term Social Security is facing some very serious financial problems and we need to do all we can to save money by weeding out waste, fraud and abuse from the program.
Fraud and abuse related to Social Security not only threatens the system’s long-term viability, but it also robs money from the millions of American who contribute a portion of their hard-earned paychecks each month to the program. It is critical that Congress enact legislation to plug the holes as soon as possible to ensure that we can all continue to rely on a robust and healthy Social Security program.
This week I introduced a bill, the Social Security Protection Act, that will help combat fraud and abuse in the Social Security system. The bill takes a solid step forward in protecting the integrity and finances of the Social Security program. By at least one estimate, the legislation will save almost $500 million in the coming years.
The Social Security Protection Act would make several common-sense changes, including denying Social Security benefits to individuals who are fugitive felons and parole violators, and creating new civil monetary penalties to combat fraud and penalize those who try to take advantage of the system.
The bill would also provide additional oversight of representative payees who are appointed by the Social Security Administration to manage the finances of beneficiaries who are unable to do so by themselves. Nearly eight million Social Security and SSI beneficiaries receive some sort of assistance when it comes to managing their accounts, and we have to make sure that proper safeguards are in place to ensure their protection. For those representatives who do try to take advantage of their clients, the legislation even allows the Social Security Administration to reissue misused funds to beneficiaries.
Finally, the bill makes some other technical changes to plug holes in the administration of Social Security, as well as improving the disability reform legislation I pushed through Congress in 1999.
For almost seventy years, Social Security has helped provide peace of mind to millions of Americans. It represents a sacred covenant between Americans and their government, and we must to do all we can to respect and protect that promise.
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