WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01) today delivered remarks at the House Ways and Means Committee’s markup of its oversight plan for the 118th Congress. As Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee, Congressman Schweikert highlighted his commitment to thoroughly investigate the hundreds of billions in unemployment benefits stolen from taxpayers during the pandemic. He also encouraged Ways and Means Committee members to work together to ensure the hard-earned tax dollars of working Americans are protected from future theft by criminals. 
 

Click here or on the image above to view Congressman Schweikert’s remarks.
Congressman Schweikert’s remarks:

“Having the Subcommittee on Oversight in some ways is overwhelming if you actually look at all the things ahead of us that need to be looked at. And some are going to be smash-mouth. Some I believe actually will come out and actually be good government.

“Not only wanting to identify the scale of pandemic fraud, whether it be on unemployment or other parts of the program, but also understanding how it was done. Did taxpayer money actually end up funding some very bad organizations around the world through these dollars? It’s worth understanding how it was done so it never ever happens again.

“But the other thing I’m going to ask, and this is what I’m asking all Members to work with us [on.] As an approach, and the Chairman’s been very kind to tolerate us on this – some things we should do through letters. Let’s get information. Let’s understand how it’s working. Some things we belong sitting around a table with each other, bringing in the experts and understanding the mechanisms – what we’ve done right, what we’ve done wrong, [and] what needs a statutory change. Where the bureaucracy may not be following our intent. And the third will be formal hearings where we bring in witnesses. We can swear them in and truly dive down into the mechanics. Whether you be on the Left or the Right if you have ideas where you see we can make this Committee’s robust jurisdiction more impactful on the lives of Americans – give it to us.

“But, we’re going to leave no stone unturned. There are no sacred cows, forgive the colloquialism, in what I’m willing, the Chairman’s willing, what our side is willing to investigate because we have a crisis in the United States, and we need to deal with it. And my friend from Texas a few minutes [ago] talked about it.

“Much of it is demographics. In functionally 19 years, we have more deaths than births in this country. In 10 budget years, we functionally are approaching $2.75 trillion of borrowing and it just gets worse after that because the next year, the Social Security trust fund is gone. What’s our moral obligation to use the power of this Committee to make lives better? And part of that comes from information and investigating those where they’re bad acts and stopping them and then also understanding where the opportunities are for policy for the rest of the Committee to put together.”