Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Newsmax on Wednesday that the continued discovery of government programs being defrauded is because states want to play the role of "Santa Claus."
Perry said on "National Report" that two Pennsylvania residents accused of food benefits fraud help make his point.
"It's easy because these things [federal programs] are everywhere and people are willing to do it," he said. "And quite honestly, because there's never really been any real enforcement."
Perry said states play a role managing federal support programs, primarily by handing out the money or vouchers for services.
"They don't want to be the bad guys in rolling people up that are defrauding people, and the government, and taxpayers and breaking the law," he said. "The states don't want to be. They want to be the Santa Claus. They don't want to be the enforcer."
Perry said the administration of President Donald Trump is helping to change a long-standing issue of government fraud.
"This is the first administration that has been willing to actually look into this," Perry said.
The DOJ announced in June that two Pennsylvania residents were charged with paying cash to SNAP food program recipients for their vouchers in order to use that cash to buy illegal drugs.
"Giving customers cash for their SNAP benefits is against the law and violates the clear rules and regulations of a program designed to provide nutritional assistance to families in need," said United States Attorney Rivetti. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who attempt to take advantage of both recipients and taxpayers by compromising the integrity of important public health programs and illegally trafficking SNAP and other government benefits."
The DOJ said the arrests are among 455, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in fraud and abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims.
Perry said the Trump administration is doing what individual states should have been doing to prevent fraud.
"The enforcement happens generally at the state level," he said, "and the states like handing out the federal money."
He said that level of tolerance means taxpayer dollars are being stolen.
"As long as no one gets in trouble for this stuff, everybody thinks they can get away with it," Perry said.
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