Rep. Steube Reintroduces Legislation to Stop Federal Payments to the Deceased
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today reintroduced the Valid Benefits Act to require federal agencies and departments verify the eligibility of individuals 105 years of age or older for federal benefits.
“No American who has paid into Social Security and Medicare should see their benefits compromised by scam artists or incompetent bureaucrats,” said Rep. Steube. “It shouldn’t have required DOGE examining the rolls to ensure 12 million Americans listed as 120 years old or more were finally properly recorded as deceased. With millions of seniors relying on Social Security and Medicare and our national debt approaching $37 trillion, it is important to make sure every dollar is spent the right way with no room for malfeasance or error. That is why we must protect our retirement programs and beneficiaries by requiring eligibility verification for individuals who are 105 years and older.”
Background:
First proposed by Representative Steube in 2019, the Valid Benefits Act builds upon the recent work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to eliminate redundancies, fraud, and waste in federal bureaucracy by mandating verification of eligibility for federal benefits for all individuals 105 years of age or older.
Read the full bill here.
