Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClintock for introducing H.R. 6678, the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act.

The underlying bill would create a ground of inadmissibility and deportation for criminal illegal immigrants who have been convicted of Social Security fraud. I am proud to offer this important amendment that I hope will go one step further in holding individuals accountable for trying to defraud the American government and the American people.

My amendment expands the bill to ensure that any illegal migrant who has been convicted of, or admits to having committed, a crime involving fraud in regard to certain COVID-19 loans and grants is also inadmissible and deportable.

Some of the programs included are the Paycheck Protection Program loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and Shuttered Venue Operators Grants. These programs were intended to allow Americans to weather the storm through the pandemic, not for illegal immigrants to use for their own personal benefit or nefarious purposes.

During the pandemic, we witnessed beloved small businesses along our main streets close and saw many families struggle. Many of these important programs ran out of money and were unable to help all those who applied. Those who attempted to defraud these programs took taxpayer money away from Americans in need and should be penalized.

In November, the House passed a bipartisan bill to prohibit individuals convicted of financial misconduct with respect to these same COVID-19 loans from receiving financial assistance from the Small Business Administration.

The SBA Inspector General estimated that more than $200 billion of the roughly $1.2 trillion in pandemic loans were distributed to potentially fraudulent actors. I want to repeat those numbers. More than $200 billion of the roughly $1.2 trillion in pandemic loans were distributed to potentially fraudulent actors. That is nearly one-fifth of all Small Business Administration funds. We must continue to advance legislation that will protect taxpayers' money and penalize those who commit fraud, especially those in our country illegally.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense, pro-American amendment.

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Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I find it almost comical that we are being lectured by my friend from New York who was just talking about consequences.

The consequences that we are facing here in this country are actually twofold. First, we are facing the consequences of the disastrous open borders that President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have allowed here in the United States of America.

Secondly, closer to home, when we are talking about murderers and rapists, my friend from New York is part of the political party that leads New York City, that has rogue DAs who have decided not to hold those accountable who have committed crimes.

We are talking about the State of New York, where the Governor, the Assembly, and the State Senate, have put cashless bail and criminal justice reform into place that have actually given criminals more rights than law-abiding citizens.

I think, today, what we are focused on is holding those accountable who are defrauding the United States of America, people who come to this country illegally and have not only committed Social Security fraud but also taken money from COVID-19 funding and used it to their advantage; therefore, taking it away from good, hardworking Americans and businessowners.

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