President Obama on Wednesday signed a memorandum about finding and recapturing improper payments made by the government.
In the memorandum, Obama said his administration “is committed to reducing payment errors and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal programs” and that federal departments and agencies “should use every tool available to identify and subsequently reclaim the funds associated with improper payments.”
“Reclaiming the funds associated with improper payments is a critical component of the proper stewardship and protection of taxpayer dollars, and it underscores that waste, fraud, and abuse by entities receiving Federal payments will not be tolerated,” according to the memorandum.
The federal government will discover and take steps to recover improper payments through expanded use of “Payment Recapture Audits.” The memorandum instructs Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag to “develop guidance” within 90 days on how executive departments and agencies should carry the expansion out.
Here is the full memorandum:
