Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered the following opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration hearing he chaired entitled, “Somali Fraud in Minnesota – The Tip of the Iceberg,” which comes as the Government Accountability Office estimates the federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually due to fraud and improper payments. Excerpts are below, and video can be found here.
“When the news broke about the level of childcare service fraud by Somali nationals in Minnesota, the American people were rightly shocked and outraged.”
“Sadly, as soon as the magnitude of the fraud was identified and amplified by an independent investigator, following an appropriate surge of DHS immigration resources into Minnesota, the mainstream media and the radical Left immediately began to call the U.S. government’s actions racist.”
“Fraud is fraud, and this recent episode, unfortunately, appears to be just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Recently, the Government Accountability Office estimated that the federal government loses between $233 billion [and] $521 billion annually due to fraud and improper payments.”
“President Trump’s team at the White House has uncovered numerous examples of illegal aliens arrested for crimes who have also been receiving Medicaid, and these individuals have been arrested for a variety of crimes ranging from child abuse to domestic battery to burglary to murder.”
“A quick internet search will reveal numerous instances of foreign nationals who’ve been convicted for fraud, everything from wire fraud, manufacturing and selling counterfeit documents, fraudulently obtaining mass numbers of H-2B visas and much more. None of these crimes are victimless.”
“What can the government do about it? First, we can begin by prioritizing the thoroughness of security vetting, rather than speed.”
“We can also require agencies to require biometric identification and verify each alien’s identity before they may be granted any federal, state, or local public benefit, loan, or grant. Furthermore, we can require automated and recurrent identity verification, random audits, and in-person identity verification for all federal and state programs that provide funds for public services or programs.”
“It is our responsibility as a U.S. government to protect the American people. It’s also our duty to protect the American people and preserve the integrity of our republic. If we fail in those duties, we won’t have a country any longer.”
