House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) issued a statement in response to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that identified significant fraud within the Obamacare premium tax credit program. According to Arrington, the GAO report revealed widespread abuse of expanded subsidies introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A bombshell GAO report has exposed the rampant fraud plaguing Democrats’ expanded Obamacare subsidies, which have effectively no eligibility checks, anti-fraud controls, or other basic program integrity measures in place, resulting in billions of wasted tax dollars and increased health care costs.
“The details are shocking. There were tens of thousands of cases where fraudsters used phony information, no information, or duplicative information to siphon federal resources from these COVID-era, expanded Obamacare subsidies.
“It was Democrats who created this shoddy subsidy program with no financial controls, no income cap, and no guardrails against the most blatant fraud, including the approval of subsidies for thousands of dead people.
“It was Democrats who shut the government down for a record 43 days with the demand of making this program permanent at a cost to taxpayers of over $400 billion.
“Now, Democrats have the audacity to demand Republicans extend these fraud-ridden subsidies.
“There is absolutely no justification for perpetuating these subsidies or the failed government-controlled Obamacare system Democrats are artificially propping up. Instead, Republicans should continue to implement reforms that lower costs, expand affordable options, and protect American taxpayers.”
The GAO’s findings come as Congress debates whether to extend certain health care provisions established during the pandemic. The House Budget Committee continues its oversight role regarding federal spending on health care programs such as those affected by recent legislative changes.