Do You Support Elon Musk and Trump’s Efforts to Eliminate Waste in Entitlement Programs?

Do You Support Elon Musk and Trump’s Efforts to Eliminate Waste in Entitlement Programs?

Here’s The Scoop

As Democrats sound the alarm over Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, labeling them a “constitutional crisis,” a closer look reveals that these efforts are tackling the rampant waste in government spending that has plagued taxpayers for years. James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, highlights the staggering opportunities to trim the fat from entitlement programs, which are long overdue for reform.

Agresti points to the astonishing $2 billion in improper payments made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2022 alone. This amount could have supported nearly 90,000 retired workers in 2023. It’s a clear indication of the inefficiencies embedded within the system. Agresti notes, “There’s a lot of fat in Social Security, as there are in almost all entitlement programs.”

The waste doesn’t stop there. A 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed that the SSA had mistakenly sent disability benefits to around 7,000 federal employees who were still receiving wages, with an estimated 1,500 of those cases being improper. Even more shocking, over 71,000 stimulus checks were sent to deceased individuals during the Obama administration.

Concerns about illegal immigrants with Social Security numbers committing fraud are not unfounded. In 2010, the SSA’s chief actuary identified 800,000 noncitizens working under false Social Security numbers, potentially receiving benefits they are not entitled to. This issue is a glaring example of the systemic fraud that needs addressing.

Agresti also sheds light on the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) lax oversight, particularly with child tax credits for illegal immigrants. Investigations have shown that fraudulent claims often go unchecked, leading to what Agresti calls “theft” from U.S. taxpayers. “It’s stealing from the US taxpayers, it’s stealing from the government,” he asserts.

While Social Security may be one of the more efficient programs, others like Medicare and Medicaid suffer from even higher rates of improper payments. Agresti warns that the IRS has essentially become a “welfare program” due to congressional laws issuing refundable tax credits, with improper payments skyrocketing.

Despite Democrats’ vocal opposition to Trump and Musk’s efforts, claiming they aim to strip legitimate benefits, Agresti insists that DOGE’s mission is to protect taxpayer money and ensure Social Security checks are not lost to fraud. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he emphasizes.

Agresti criticizes the Democratic Party for demonizing Trump and Musk’s genuine attempts to rectify these issues. “The federal government is a behemoth,” he says, notorious for low accountability. It’s time for a change, and DOGE is a step in the right direction.

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