I would like to see a breakdown of what the 'improper payments' were.
Are they scheduled payments that were made off schedule?
Are they payments made before some i's were dotted or t's were crossed, that were going to be made eventually anyway?
Are they payments that should never have been made and would not have been made if there had been oversight?
Are they payments that were made, then recalled? (Social Security requires a dead person's estate to keep the account that SS payments are dropped into to stay open for a while, so that if the person dies in January but SS isn't notified right away and drops Feb and Mar payments, those payments can be clawed back once the government receives the death certificate, for instance)
Were they payments where the government was defrauded, noticed the fraud, and is going after the perpetrator?
All I'm saying is that I wonder how much of the $3 was both 'improper' and 'permanent'.
The GAO has stated they basically have no clue where the money went.
Here is a quote from their report issued last year:
"Improper payments—those that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount—have consistently been a government-wide issue. Since fiscal year 2003, cumulative improper payment estimates by executive branch agencies have totaled about $2.7 trillion. Reducing improper payments is critical to safeguarding federal funds.
GAO has reported on improper payments in its audit reports on the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements since fiscal year 1997. GAO has found that these payments represent a material deficiency or weakness in internal controls. Specifically, GAO has noted that the federal government is unable to determine the full extent of its improper payments or to reasonably assure that appropriate actions are taken to reduce them.
House Report 117-389, which accompanied the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2023, includes a provision for GAO to provide quarterly reports on improper payments. This is GAO's fifth such report, and it provides an overview of federal agencies' reported improper payment estimates for fiscal year 2023. Additionally, this report discusses agencies' compliance with legal requirements for reporting and managing improper payments."
*MySmiley*
"Bustin' makes me feel good!"
Ghostbusters, by Ray Parker Jr.
