Latest news with #DOGE-centric
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New DOGE bill would target more than $200B in annual improper payments from safety nets, lawmaker says
EXCLUSIVE: A new DOGE-centric bill will be introduced Monday targeting overpayments by the federal government, which the lawmaker sponsoring it says have added up to the trillions since the George W. Bush era. The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA) will go "hand-in-hand" with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government, according to Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. Meuser, chairman of the oversight panel of the House Financial Services Committee and a member of the House DOGE Caucus, said Monday that the "DOGE team" writ-large has uncovered $55 billion in waste in only one month and that the PIIA Reform Act would dig even deeper. "The federal government expended $236 billion last year in improper payments—money sent out improperly due to fraud, bureaucratic errors, and agencies failing to maintain eligibility integrity. "This is a gross failure of accountability that hardworking American taxpayers should not tolerate," he said. Bill Would Prohibit Us Financial Aid To Afghanistan Until All Wrongfully Detained Americans Released If passed, the bill could account for nearly one-quarter of the $1 trillion that DOGE writ-large has expressed the goal of exposing, recouping or saving on taxpayers' behalf. Read On The Fox News App The act would look to improve payment integrity laws and particularly target overpayments for social safety net programs, which have been in the news lately for similar issues. In 2023, federal agencies estimated $236 billion in improper payments were disbursed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That sum accounted for funds from 71 different government programs. More than $44 billion of that year's share was also categorized as "unknown payments." "The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies by strengthening oversight, enforcing tougher penalties for noncompliance, and demanding accountability at every level," Meuser said. Democrats Loved Idea Of Doge Before Trump, White House Quips "The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly and the House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and ensure tax dollars are spent as intended." The GAO further reported that improper 2023 Medicaid and Medicare payments accounted for $50 billion each, with COVID-19 unemployment assistance accounting for $43 billion. While down $11 billion from 2022, that $236 billion was parcel to about $2.7 billion collectively disbursed incorrectly or erroneously since 2003. Meuser said the improper payment calculations are likely conservative estimates and that the total figure is unknown, given agencies' systemic noncompliance with such payment integrity laws. Last week, both DOGE leader Elon Musk and President Donald Trump remarked that some Social Security beneficiaries are listed as being older than the oldest known humans on the planet. "According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!," Musk wrote on X. "Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security." Per Musk, there are 20 million beneficiaries with a listed age of older than 100 years, with about 1 million who were still alive during Reconstruction. Fox News Digital also reached out to House DOGE Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., for article source: New DOGE bill would target more than $200B in annual improper payments from safety nets, lawmaker says
Fox News
24-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
New DOGE bill would target more than $200B in annual improper payments from safety nets, lawmaker says
EXCLUSIVE: A new DOGE-centric bill will be introduced Monday targeting overpayments by the federal government, which the lawmaker sponsoring it says have added up to the trillions since the George W. Bush era. The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA) will go "hand-in-hand" with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government, according to Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. Meuser, chairman of the oversight panel of the House Financial Services Committee and a member of the House DOGE Caucus, said Monday that the "DOGE team" writ-large has uncovered $55 billion in waste in only one month and that the PIIA Reform Act would dig even deeper. "The federal government expended $236 billion last year in improper payments—money sent out improperly due to fraud, bureaucratic errors, and agencies failing to maintain eligibility integrity. "This is a gross failure of accountability that hardworking American taxpayers should not tolerate," he said. If passed, the bill could account for nearly one-quarter of the $1 trillion that DOGE writ-large has expressed the goal of exposing, recouping or saving on taxpayers' behalf. The act would look to improve payment integrity laws and particularly target overpayments for social safety net programs, which have been in the news lately for similar issues. In 2023, federal agencies estimated $236 billion in improper payments were disbursed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That sum accounted for funds from 71 different government programs. More than $44 billion of that year's share was also categorized as "unknown payments." "The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies by strengthening oversight, enforcing tougher penalties for noncompliance, and demanding accountability at every level," Meuser said. "The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly and the House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and ensure tax dollars are spent as intended." The GAO further reported that improper 2023 Medicaid and Medicare payments accounted for $50 billion each, with COVID-19 unemployment assistance accounting for $43 billion. While down $11 billion from 2022, that $236 billion was parcel to about $2.7 billion collectively disbursed incorrectly or erroneously since 2003. Meuser said the improper payment calculations are likely conservative estimates and that the total figure is unknown, given agencies' systemic noncompliance with such payment integrity laws. Last week, both DOGE leader Elon Musk and President Donald Trump remarked that some Social Security beneficiaries are listed as being older than the oldest known humans on the planet. "According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!," Musk wrote on X. "Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security." Per Musk, there are 20 million beneficiaries with a listed age of older than 100 years, with about 1 million who were still alive during Reconstruction. Fox News Digital also reached out to House DOGE Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., for comment.
Express Tribune
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Grimes slams Elon Musk for bringing 4-year-old son X to Oval Office during Trump's press conference
Grimes has publicly criticized her ex, Elon Musk, after he brought their four-year-old son, X Æ A-XII, to the Oval Office for a press event alongside Donald Trump. The singer expressed frustration over X's involvement in such a high-profile political moment, stating, "He should not be in public like this." The Tesla and SpaceX CEO took his son to the White House to witness Trump signing a DOGE-centric executive order aimed at targeting government bureaucrats. Musk and his child stole the spotlight, overshadowing the official event, which the former couple's son was seen attending with his father. Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, responded on X (formerly Twitter) after being alerted by a follower about her son's presence at the event. She acknowledged that X was well-behaved but expressed clear disappointment, writing, "I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh." He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh — 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) The Canadian musician, who has three children with Musk, has been outspoken about their custody battle, previously calling Musk's public display of their child a 'personal tragedy.' She has also voiced concerns about America's political climate, lamenting the decline of diplomatic leadership. "I think so much of what's been happening over the last decade is simply that the art of diplomacy, oration, and generally competent leadership has been lost," she posted on X. Grimes added that she wants politicians to focus on governing rather than engaging in personal rivalries. "When I see bills getting killed that technically everyone agreed on that would have been good—just because of infighting—it feels like it's personal between them rather than about serving the greater good," she wrote. However, she remained cautious about directly criticizing any political figures, noting that she is not a U.S. citizen and joking, "I just don't wanna be deported haha—like literally." Musk and Grimes, who dated from 2018 to 2022, have been locked in a high-profile custody dispute over their children. Musk sued for custody in Texas, where many of his businesses are based, while Grimes countered with a petition to establish parental relationship in California, a move often seen as the first step in a custody battle for unmarried parents. The singer has previously claimed that Musk has withheld access to their children and even prevented them from seeing their terminally ill maternal grandmother. Despite the legal battle, Musk remains heavily involved in politics, aligning himself with Trump's MAGA movement, while Grimes continues to challenge his public decisions regarding their children.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grimes rages at ex Elon Musk for taking their young son to meet Trump in Oval Office
Grimes has called out her ex Elon Musk for taking their four-year-old son X to meet Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Musk and his son - whose full name is X AE A-XII - took animated photos next to President Trump while marking a DOGE-centric executive order to target D.C. bureaucrats. Canadian singer Grimes blasted Musk's actions after a fan alerted her to their high-profile appearance on X. 'He should not be in public like this,' Grimes wrote. 'I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh,' she wrote. This is a breaking news story. More follows.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'America has DOGE fever': States from NJ to TX draft similar initiatives as federal leaders celebrate
The spread of DOGE-centric legislation and bureaucracies has taken off like a SpaceX rocket in several states across the country since Elon Musk and lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., began their work this year. Bean, chair of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, was asked about copycat initiatives popping up around the country and remarked, "America has DOGE fever." "As elected officials, we must ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must identify, investigate and eliminate wasteful spending." With a governor's race in November and President Donald Trump only losing their state by a historically small margin, Garden State Republicans appeared bullish this week as they put forth a proposal to "bring DOGE to New Jersey." 'Doge Meets Congress': Lawmaker Launches New Panel On Government Efficiency GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213 to create the NJ Delegation on Government Efficiency within the Treasury Department. Read On The Fox News App Sauickie quoted former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 retort that "government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other." "Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline," Sauickie said, adding that it is time for "grownups to take responsibility and say 'no'" to reckless spending. Some Trenton lawmakers have painted New Jersey's financial outlook as a "fiscal cliff," and DePhillips blamed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy for claiming he inherited the problem from Republican Gov. Chris Christie. "Taxpayers want accountability for how their hard-earned money is spent," DePhillips said. He also called on Murphy to "stop fighting Trump" and lower New Jersey's business taxes before the third-founded state in the union "loses out" on the potential upswing of the new administration. Republican state Sen. Joe Pennacchio added in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he would be forming a DOGE committee in the state legislature. "We're mirroring what the federal government and what [Musk is] doing," said Pennacchio. Top Doge Lawmaker Says Trump Already Racking Up Wins This week, Kentucky lawmakers also prioritized government efficiency measures, with Republican state Rep. Jared Bauman forwarding a bill to establish a working group to help the state treasury modernize its tax collections and accounting. In Texas, lawmakers in both the state Senate and House are working on DOGE-centric initiatives. Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton, a Republican, first oversaw the passage of the strongest DEI ban in the U.S. during the 2023 session, which eliminated billions in taxpayer-funded waste and refocused public universities on education over social issues. After DOGE formed at the federal level, Creighton said Texas is already a model for how a jurisdiction that prioritizes government efficiency will work. "Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started," Creighton told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win." Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, officially the president of the Senate, announced a bill late last month called "Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency," according to Bloomberg. Another reported bill by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes would form a DOGE office in the executive branch. Meanwhile, the Texas House is considering forming a DOGE committee to analyze government efficiency through a 13-member panel. It would investigate fraud claims, inefficient use of tax dollars, and the use of AI, according to FOX-7. In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Ben Baker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Missourians believe the state government is not as efficient or responsive as it should be. "We want to look into that," said Baker. Baker recently announced he was named to lead the state's new DOGE Standing Committee, adding his work will "align with federal efforts." In New Hampshire, newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte's first executive order created a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE). "COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state," she said in her inaugural address. It will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews. North Carolina also sought to get in on the DOGE trend. Republican House Speaker Destin Hall unveiled the new NC Select Committee on Government Efficiency. State Reps. Keith Kidwell and John Torbett, both Republicans, will lead the initiative, looking into waste, duplication, mismanagement and constitutional violations. "As the new Trump administration rightfully takes aim at Washington D.C.'s wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy, it is time for us in Raleigh to do the same," Kidwell said in a statement. Bean, the U.S. House's DOGE leader, further remarked on the collective efforts: "It's exciting to see states pick up the DOGE baton, and I applaud their efforts to improve government efficiency and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars." Some in Congress, however, have cast doubt on DOGE. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said at an anti-DOGE rally that some of the actions at the federal level are "completely illegal."Original article source: 'America has DOGE fever': States from NJ to TX draft similar initiatives as federal leaders celebrate
