U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, called for greater accountability from state governors regarding fraud in federal child care funding, according to a Mar. 17 statement. Cassidy said several states have failed to protect families and taxpayers from improper payments in these programs.
The issue is significant because it involves billions of dollars intended to support children and working families. Cassidy said that wasteful spending undermines both those who pay into the system and those who depend on it. “These governors seem to be content with wasting billions of American’s hard-earned dollars on fraudulent federal child care assistant programs. This leaves children in need worse off,” Cassidy said. “We need to protect the hard-working families who pay into the system and the families who rely on it.”
Cassidy highlighted that Oregon, New York, and Michigan had some of the highest rates of improper payments—35.12 percent, 17.73 percent, and 12.25 percent respectively—while Texas reported a much lower rate at only 0.4 percent.
As chairman of the committee during the 119th Congress according to the official website, Cassidy has led efforts to address this issue by launching a committee task force and holding hearings focused on preventing fraud in federal funding.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee plays a central role in legislating public health, education, workforce issues, retirement programs according to its official website, as well as influencing regulations across these sectors nationwide according to its official website. The committee also provides oversight of relevant federal laws and agencies according to its official website, including agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) according to its official website.
Cassidy’s recent actions include sending letters demanding explanations from governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tina Kotek of Oregon, and Kathy Hochul of New York regarding their states’ high rates of improper payments.
