On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET in 2247 Rayburn House Office
Building, the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will host a hearing titled
“The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud.”
Dawn Royal, Director, United Council on Welfare Fraud
Haywood “Woody” Talcove, Chief Executive Officer, LexisNexis Special Services Inc.
Stewart Whitson, Senior Director of Federal Affairs, Foundation for Government Accountability
The Government Accountability Office estimates that since 2003 the federal
government has made approximately $2.8 trillion in improper payments.
CRS reports that the error rate for the
School Lunch program decreased from 16.3% in FY2004 to 2.4% in FY2023, and the error rate
for the Pell Grant program declined from 4.9% in FY2008 to 2.8% in FY2023.
The error rate for FFS decreased from
10.1% in FY2004 to 7.4% in FY2023, and Part C’s error rate decreased from 10.6% in FY2008 to
6.0% in FY2023. Part D’s error rate increased from 3.2% in FY2011 to 3.7% in FY2023.
In FY2004, the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program reported an error rate of 6.6%, which steadily declined until it
reached 3.8% in FY2011. The error rate remained below 4.0% for five consecutive fiscal years,
then grew quickly, reaching 6.8% in FY2019 and 11.6% in FY2023. Similarly, the error rate for
the Children’s Health Insurance Program declined from 14.7% in FY2008 to 6.5% in FY2014,
and then increased steadily until reaching 15.8% in FY2019.
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet to consider:
H.R. 231 (Rep. Hageman), “Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act of 2025”;
H.R. 249 (Rep. Pallone), To redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.;
H.R. 331 (Rep. Fulcher), To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes.
H.R. 618 (Rep. Horsford), To amend the Apex Project, Nevada Land Transfer and Authorization Act of 1989 to include the City of North Las Vegas and the Apex Industrial Park Owners Association, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1001 (Rep. Hageman), To provide for a memorandum of understanding to address the impacts of a certain record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.
H.R. 1044 (Rep. Valadao), To amend Public Law 99-338 with respect to Kaweah Project permits.
H.R. 1110 (Rep. LaMalfa), “Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act”.
Any proposed amendments should be emailed to Sophia Varnasidis ([email protected]) no later
than 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Note that all amendments filed by this time will be given
priority recognition at the meeting. Please email and deliver 70 hard copies of any amendments submitted
after the 12:00 p.m. deadline to 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
The oversight plan includes: “The Committee will also
work with federal agencies and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce
unnecessary spending, make the federal government more efficient, and ensure better stewardship
of taxpayer dollars.”
“To truly enter the 21st Century, the NPS should adopt more market-based
solutions and engage in public-private partnerships to maximize agency resources and enhance
visitor services.”
“On July 24, 2024, a group of U.S.-based non-profits
operating under the ‘Shut It Down for Palestine’ movement staged a violent anti-Israel riot at a
public gathering at Union Station in DC, a National Park Service site. The Committee will
continue to investigate and provide recommendations to improve the public gathering permitting
process for the National Park Service to improves the permitting process, and ensure it is not
abused by organizations that intend to cause violence and destruction. Additionally, the Committee
will continue to expose these organizations’ ties to foreign adversaries like the CCP, Iran, and
Hamas.”
“During the 118th Congress, the Committee investigated potential foreign
influence over domestic environmental and natural resources policies, particularly at DOI,
accomplished through a network of U.S.-based activist non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The Committee will continue identifying NGOs with ties to foreign adversaries such as the CCP
and Iran and prevent foreign influence over domestic natural resources policy.”