Congress Blocks Dead People from Getting Social Security; Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk

Mark Felix for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Congress Blocks Dead People from Getting Social Security: Congress has passed a bill that would stop payments from going to deceased people, said a celebrating Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

In a video posted on X, Kennedy explained that the Social Security Administration (SSA) “maintains a list of dead Americans” called the Death Master File. Kennedy added that the SSA had not shared “this information” with other branches in the government, and that after he was informed that the SSA would need Congress’s permission, he passed a bill called the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act.

Since the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act temporarily shared data, Kennedy went on to introduce a second bill, titled Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, that would “make this data sharing arrangement permanent.”

“I have been working for years, literally years, to target welfare fraud — especially the fraudsters who conduct fraud in the name of deceased Americans,” Kennedy said. “In 2023 alone, for example, the federal government sent $1.3 billion — not million, billion. The federal government sent $1.3 billion to dead people.”

“It’s so pervasive that the Social Security Administration — which maintains a list of dead Americans, known as the Death Master File,” Kennedy added. “If someone dies, the state sends the name of the deceased person to the Social Security Administration, and that person’s name is listed on what’s called the Death Master File.” --->READ MORE HERE

Kennedy’s Bill to End Payments Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk: Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk

John Kennedy says years of effort to stop federal welfare payments to deceased Americans are finally paying off. In remarks delivered just days ago, the Louisiana senator announced that the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act has cleared both chambers of Congress and is now headed to Donald Trump for his signature.

Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk aims to protect the integrity of taxpayer funds.

Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk has garnered significant attention from lawmakers and constituents alike.

Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk.

The legislation targets a problem Kennedy calls both “nauseating” and “unconscionable”: billions of taxpayer dollars being sent each year to people who are no longer alive.

This underscores why Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk is crucial for ensuring taxpayer dollars are protected.

A Long-Standing Problem of Government Waste

Kennedy opened by referencing public outrage over welfare fraud cases in states like Minnesota, saying those stories resonate deeply with Louisianians and Americans nationwide. But while high-profile fraud scandals often dominate headlines, Kennedy argued that one of the most persistent forms of abuse has gone largely unchecked—payments issued in the names of deceased individuals.

With the passage of Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk, a significant step has been taken to prevent fraud.

Moreover, the implications of Kennedy Says Bill to Stop Payments to Dead Americans Is Headed to President Trump’s Desk extend beyond mere statistics.

“In 2023 alone,” Kennedy said, “the federal government sent $1.3 billion—not million, billion—to dead people.”

According to Kennedy, these payments were often cashed by relatives, acquaintances, or outright fraudsters, exploiting a systemic failure in how federal agencies share data. --->READ MORE HERE

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