{"id":2607193,"date":"2026-05-27T00:03:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T04:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-could-cover-10-percent-of-the-entire-deficit-if-govt-stopped-accidentally-making-improper-payments\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T00:04:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T04:04:57","slug":"we-could-cover-10-percent-of-the-entire-deficit-if-govt-stopped-accidentally-making-improper-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-could-cover-10-percent-of-the-entire-deficit-if-govt-stopped-accidentally-making-improper-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"We Could Cover 10 Percent of the Entire Deficit if Gov&#8217;t Stopped Accidentally Making Improper Payments"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwe-could-cover-10-percent-of-the-entire-deficit-if-govt-stopped-accidentally-making-improper-payments%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2607193&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the text says a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report estimates that about **$186 billion** in **improper payments** were made in fiscal year 2025 across **64 federal programs**, affecting **15 agencies**-an **increase of $24 billion** from the year before. It claims that improper payments make up roughly **10% of the total federal deficit** (citing a deficit of about **$1.8 trillion** the previous year and about **$1.9 trillion** projected for the current year).<\/p>\n<p>The biggest sources of improper payments are listed as **Medicare (~$57B)** and **Medicaid (~$37B)**, followed by the **earned income tax credit (~$21B)** and **SNAP (~$10B)**. The GAO is described as distinguishing **improper payments** (wrong amount or should not have been paid) from **fraud** (willful misrepresentation), noting that improper payments have been an ongoing problem for decades and peaked during **COVID-era spending (2020-2023)**.<\/p>\n<p>The article then discusses a Trump management effort to curb fraud, including placing **Vice President J.D. Vance** in charge of anti-fraud efforts, with claims from administration figures that eliminating improper payments and related fraud or waste could considerably reduce the budget deficit.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A new report by the Government Accountability Office indicates that approximately 10 percent of the federal deficit could be erased just by ending improper payments.<\/p>\n<p>Further, when coupled with a crackdown on outright fraud, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/us-national-debt-exceeds-gdp-first-time-since-immediate-aftermath-wwii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">federal deficit<\/a> could be cut by hundreds of billions more.<\/p>\n<p>The GAO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/fraud-improper-payments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> that in fiscal year 2025, 15 federal agencies made approximately $186 billion in improper payments across 64 programs, an increase of $24 billion from the previous fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>The federal deficit was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jec.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/republicans\/2025\/10\/u-s-deficit-decreases-2-8-percent-to-1-8-trillion-in-fy2025-september-ends-with-198-billion-surplus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1.8 trillion last year<\/a>, and is projected to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/publication\/62105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1.9 trillion<\/a> this fiscal year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, so $186 billion represents about 10 percent of that total.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the biggest offender programs for improper payments were Medicare, coming in at $57 billion, followed by Medicaid at $37 billion, the earned income tax credit at $21 billion, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with $10 billion.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">There were an estimated $186 billion in improper payments made last year by the federal government, with the Medicare and Medicaid programs being the top offenders. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eHHzSwzJ2s\">pic.twitter.com\/eHHzSwzJ2s<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Randy DeSoto (@RandyDeSoto) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandyDeSoto\/status\/2059409899742982433?\">May 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cImproper payments have been a government-wide issue for more than 20 years, with estimates since FY 2003 at about $3 trillion,\u201d the GAO added.<\/p>\n<p>The agency contrasted improper payments with fraudulent ones, explaining, \u201cFraud is obtaining something of value through willful misrepresentation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, \u201cImproper payments are payments that should not have been made or that were made in the incorrect amount; typically they are overpayments. While all fraudulent payments are considered improper, not all improper payments are due to fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kristen Kociolek, the managing director of GAO\u2019s Financial Management and Assurance team, noted that the worst period for improper payments was during the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2023, because the new spending programs rolled out at the time meant an increased likelihood of significant amounts of money going to the wrong place, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2026\/apr\/28\/federal-government-made-least-186-billion-improper-payments-single\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Washington Times<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>She added regarding the $24 billion increase in improper payments last year that it is \u201cconcerning to see the amounts of improper payments starting to increase again with the federal government not facing these emergency risks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump recently placed Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of the administration\u2019s efforts to root out fraud.<\/p>\n<p>During a task force meeting at the White House Tuesday, Deputy Chief of Staff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/swalwell-scandal-reveals-democrat-party-controls-members-blackmail-stephen-miller-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen Miller<\/a> argued that government programs have been set up based on an honor system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are set up based on the idea that you could trust the average person, through their own morality, to abide by the rules and comply with the law,\u201d he said, arguing that people have taken advantage of that trust to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Holy smokes. Stephen Miller says he believes that the fraud and waste being uncovered by the Anti-Fraud Taskforce is so widespread, that dealing with it could balance the budget:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the fastest in history that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/foia-finds-nih-deleted-info-from-wuhan-lab-on-ccp-virus-genetic-sequencing\/\" title=\"FOIA Finds NIH Deleted Info From Wuhan Lab on CCP Virus Genetic Sequencing\">government task force<\/a> has traveled from creation to action.\u201d\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/desds4hGyG\">pic.twitter.com\/desds4hGyG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndrewKolvet\/status\/2059350613507400182?\">May 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe, based on what I\u2019ve seen, from what I\u2019ve heard, that we could balance the federal budget if the only dollars that went out of the Treasury went to individuals who were properly, lawfully, correctly eligible to receive them,\u201d Miller concluded.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceEx CEO Elon Musk, who oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency last year, estimated at the time that roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SaveUSAKitty\/status\/2009304965915832676\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20 percent<\/a> of all federal government spending goes toward fraud and waste, presumably <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >including improper payments<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So Godspeed to Vance\u2019s task force. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-announcement-on-social-security-payments-heres-what-to-know\/\" title=\"Important Update: Key Details on Social Security ...\">future financial stability<\/a> of the country relies on controlling spending, in large part by rooting out waste and fraud.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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