Pope: larger welfare budgets create more opportunities for fraud; program structure matters
September 20, 2026 | 2025 Confirmation Hearings Collection, Federal
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An audience member asked whether greater generosity increases fraud in welfare systems. Chris Pope responded that larger spending inevitably creates more opportunities and that program structure—multiple stages between financer and provider—can make fraud harder to detect and prevent.
"If you're spending $2,000,000,000,000, it's harder to keep an eye on than if you're spending $20,000,000,000," Pope said, and contrasted Social Security (where fraud is limited by long work histories) with Medicaid and home- and community-based services where nebulous service definitions and many intermediaries raise fraud risk.
"If you're spending $2,000,000,000,000, it's harder to keep an eye on than if you're spending $20,000,000,000," Pope said, and contrasted Social Security (where fraud is limited by long work histories) with Medicaid and home- and community-based services where nebulous service definitions and many intermediaries raise fraud risk.
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