The Calendar

Floor Speech

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Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, COVID-19 fraudsters stole at least $200 billion, but time is now running out to hold every single one accountable. Starting this week, crooks who defrauded pandemic relief programs are getting away.

Both Republicans and Democrats should be working around the clock to send a clear message to fraudsters past, present, and future: There are real consequences to stealing from taxpayers.

But Democrats have wanted to press ``snooze'' on passing my SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act. This is the third day fraudsters who stole millions in COVID relief funds have been able to escape justice.

You heard me right, folks. Swindlers who took advantage of SBA COVID relief programs are already escaping justice. Every day that passes, another gets away. The clock is ticking, and the countdown is on.

My bill simply gives investigators and prosecutors flexibility to do their jobs by extending the statutes of limitation for defrauding the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund by 5 years.

Congress has already passed an extension of the statutes of limitation for SBA's other COVID relief programs with bipartisan support. This body came together against fraud, and we need to again.

Pandemic program fraud investigations have already uncovered $57 billion in fraud and issued 1,200 indictments. The SBA is currently conducting a manual review of over $3 billion in Restaurant Revitalization Fund awards, but in this program alone, more than $9.5 billion of awards still require review.

We can't allow swindlers, scammers, and con artists to run out the clock, because for fraudsters, time flies when you are having fun.

Look no further than rapper Chris Brown, who exploited the SVOG Program to pay for his lavish $80,000 birthday party and paid himself $5.1 million in the process, and multilocation franchise CoreLife Eatery, which ignored location limits to feast on $7.8 million in taxpayer funds.

Make no mistake, when it comes to fraud and abuse, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Thorough investigations take time, and investigators must be able to continue conducting this vital work on behalf of the American taxpayers. That is why I am urging my colleagues to support the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act so fraudsters know the days of getting away with their scams are numbered. But if Congress continues to press ``snooze,'' taxpayers are the ones who lose billions.

134, S. 1199, and Calendar No. 135, S. 2232.

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Ms. ERNST. I ask that the committee-reported substitute amendment to S. 1199 be withdrawn; that the Ernst substitute amendment at the desk be considered; that the Markey amendment to the Ernst substitute be considered and agreed to; that the Ernst substitute, as amended, be agreed to; further, that the committee-reported substitute to S. 2232 be agreed to; finally, that the bills, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed en bloc and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

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