Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Requiring More Transparency About Improper Payments

There is an inscription above an entrance to the Nebraska State Capitol. It reads: “the salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen.” Transparency is essential to watchfulness. Our $36 trillion national debt is our greatest domestic threat. We must do all we can to eliminate waste and restore fiscal sanity. This week, I introduced the Improper Payments Transparency Act. My bipartisan bill will require more transparent and more accurate data about the scope of improper payments made by the federal government.  

Improper payments continue to be a major contributor to wasteful spending. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that the federal government made $236 billion of improper payments. That means "payments that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount." In Fiscal Year 2024, agencies reported $161.5 billion of improper payments. Since 2003, GAO estimates that the federal government has made $2.7 trillion in improper payments. The true cost of improper payments is likely even higher than this. That's because some federal programs do not report improper payments. 

In Fiscal Year 2023, eight federal programs were flagged as having potentially significant improper payments. They were required to report but did not do so. They should have been transparent with Americans.  

Current law only requires agencies to consult with the Office of Management and Budget before deciding whether to report improper payments. This must change. Americans deserve to know whether our tax dollars are being misspent. They deserve transparent data. 

My Improper Payments Transparency Act would require better reporting. This bipartisan bill, introduced with Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, would require the President’s budget to include the amounts and rates of improper payments at each executive agency. It would require a detailed explanation of yearly trends. It would also require a summary of corrective actions taken to reduce and stop improper payments. This data will help Congress and the American people see where money is being misspent. Transparency brings accountability. With this information, we can make better choices and save tax dollars. 

Improper payments are not just numbers. They have real consequences. When federal agencies waste money, it means less money supports essential services. It crowds out money for our national defense. It reduces the dollars for critical infrastructure and deficit reduction. Taxpayers deserve better. 

Transparency and accountability shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Americans work hard. Their money should not be wasted. Waste undermines public trust and perpetuates our unsustainable fiscal path. If we want to fix our nation’s debt, we must stop wasting hundreds of billions of dollars each year, and trillions since 2003, in improper payments. It is time to find the mistakes, fix the problems, and save Nebraskans’ and taxpayers’ money. My Improper Payments Transparency Act will help us do that. I’m committed to improving transparency and ending wasteful spending.