The Pandemic Response Accountability Commission (PRAC) said it “identified 69,323 suspicious Social Security numbers (SSNs) used to receive $5.4 billion from two COVID-19 assistance programs- 19 in the period from April 2020 to October 2022”.
Two programs to help weather the COVID-19 “storm” include the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PRAC report was released ahead of a hearing on COVID-19 spending fraud, scheduled for February 1 before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.
Former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shows former President Donald Trump a card used to send aid to Americans during a cabinet meeting at the White House in May 2020. Photo: The Washington Post
According to the news agency Reutersthe United States has investigated numerous cases of fraud involving government assistance programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), unemployment insurance, and the federal health insurance program Medicare.
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland established the COVID-19 Fraud Task Force.
In 2022, the US Department of Justice appointed Assistant Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers to be the main person in charge of investigating violations and frauds related to Covid-19 relief funds discovered in many states of this country.
In September 2022, the inspector general of the US Department of Labor said it was likely that $45.6 billion from the COVID-19 unemployment insurance program was profited by using the social security numbers of people who were unemployed. died to receive the money.
Also last September, federal prosecutors charged dozens of defendants with stealing $250 million from a government aid program used to support children during the pandemic.
The United States will end its national emergency and public health emergency due to COVID-19 on May 11. Photo: Reuters
Regarding the COVID-19 situation in the US, the White House on January 30 said that President Joe Biden intends to end the national emergency and public health emergency due to COVID-19 on the 11th. -5, nearly 3 years after the country applied many anti-pandemic measures.
A national COVID-19 and public health emergency was declared in 2020 under former President Donald Trump. President Biden then repeatedly renewed.
Once the emergency ends, those with health insurance will have to pay some of the costs for COVID-19 vaccines, testing and treatment themselves, while the uninsured will have to pay the full cost. set of costs.
The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said President Biden will veto a bill proposed in Congress to remove mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers. in some federal programs.