House to Vote on Blue Dog-Endorsed Bill This Week
December 10, 2012
Bipartisan Legislation Creates National “Do Not Pay List” – Builds on Blue Dog Bill Signed into Law Last Year to Reduce Waste, Fraud and Abuse in Government
The U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill this week endorsed by the fiscally conservative, Democratic Blue Dog Coalition that will better protect taxpayer dollars. H.R. 4053, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act (IPERIA), will better identify, prevent and recover payment error, waste, fraud and abuse within federal spending. The bill will be considered under a suspension of the rules as early as Wednesday, according to the House Committee on Rules.
The bill was introduced in February by Reps. Edolphus "Ed" Towns, D-N.Y.; Todd Platts, R-Pa.; and, Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility.
"The federal government needs to tighten its belt just like every hardworking American family has had to do during our economic recovery," said Schrader. "This legislation takes responsibility for taxpayers' dollars by making sure that our agencies have policies in place to prevent and recover improper payments and rid of further wasteful government spending. We urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to approve this bipartisan, commonsense bill."
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), federal agencies reported an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments in FY2010. Among many other provisions, this new bill will help federal agencies cut down on wasteful spending by creating a government-wide Do Not Pay List to block improper payments before they go out and to stop payments to deceased individuals, such as for Social Security.
"Throughout the negotiations on major issues like the fiscal cliff, we often lose sight of the smaller fixes we can make along the way. Every taxpayer dollar matters," said Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy. "The Blue Dogs are the leading voice of bipartisanship in the House of Representatives, and have sponsored or cosponsored over 1,000 bipartisan bills in this Congress alone. We'll continue to work as problems solvers, on issues big and small, and we'll bring civility back to our nation's government as well."
This legislation builds on a similar improper payments law passed last year, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, which was part of the Blue Dogs' Blueprint for Fiscal Reform – a 15-point plan to balance the budget and lay the groundwork for sound fiscal policies over the long term.
Among the bill's 20 cosponsors, 18 cosponsors are members of the fiscally conservative, Democratic Blue Dog Coalition.
The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Visit the Blue Dog website at https://ross.house.gov/BlueDog to learn more. You can also get up-to-the-minute news updates on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/BlueDogPress.
The bill was introduced in February by Reps. Edolphus "Ed" Towns, D-N.Y.; Todd Platts, R-Pa.; and, Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility.
"The federal government needs to tighten its belt just like every hardworking American family has had to do during our economic recovery," said Schrader. "This legislation takes responsibility for taxpayers' dollars by making sure that our agencies have policies in place to prevent and recover improper payments and rid of further wasteful government spending. We urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to approve this bipartisan, commonsense bill."
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), federal agencies reported an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments in FY2010. Among many other provisions, this new bill will help federal agencies cut down on wasteful spending by creating a government-wide Do Not Pay List to block improper payments before they go out and to stop payments to deceased individuals, such as for Social Security.
"Throughout the negotiations on major issues like the fiscal cliff, we often lose sight of the smaller fixes we can make along the way. Every taxpayer dollar matters," said Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy. "The Blue Dogs are the leading voice of bipartisanship in the House of Representatives, and have sponsored or cosponsored over 1,000 bipartisan bills in this Congress alone. We'll continue to work as problems solvers, on issues big and small, and we'll bring civility back to our nation's government as well."
This legislation builds on a similar improper payments law passed last year, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, which was part of the Blue Dogs' Blueprint for Fiscal Reform – a 15-point plan to balance the budget and lay the groundwork for sound fiscal policies over the long term.
Among the bill's 20 cosponsors, 18 cosponsors are members of the fiscally conservative, Democratic Blue Dog Coalition.
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