PRAC Report to Congress: October 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022

Summary

This is the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee's (PRAC) Semiannual Report to Congress for October 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022, listing highlights. A Data Gaps Report studied 51,000 pandemic-related awards worth $347 billion and found that 30% of those awards had meaningless descriptions. Twenty-nine members issued 79 reports with a total of 184 recommendations and $9.8 billion in monetary findings. The Fraud Task Force now has 43 agents from 13 OIGs, and the page says collaboration resulted in two indictments this reporting period. It also says the Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence (PACE) acquired more than 20 public and non-public federal datasets.

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Report to Congress: October 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022

We're pleased to present the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee's (PRAC) Semiannual Report to Congress . We remain committed to our extraordinary responsibility and continue to look for fraud, waste, and abuse through independent oversight and coordination among Inspectors General (IGs). Here’s a summary of our accomplishments from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Highlights from the report

1. Small Business Administration Fraud Controls Report

We examined antifraud controls the SBA added to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in January 2021, to see whether they might have prevented earlier PPP fraud.

2. Capping Report on State Unemployment Insurance Programs

We looked at more than 40 reports from 16 states to identify common challenges they faced with pandemic unemployment insurance programs.

3. State & Local Oversight Reports

We added 41 more reports from state and local watchdogs so the public and policymakers can see a full inventory of what federal, state, and local agencies have found.

4. Data Gaps Report

In a study of 51,000 pandemic-related awards worth $347 billion, we found that 30% of those awards had meaningless descriptions that reduced transparency into $33 billion of funds had been used.

5. IG Community Findings

Twenty-nine of our members issued 79 reports with a total of 184 recommendations and $9.8 billion in monetary findings.

6. Congressional Testimony

Our Chair testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about the importance of “whole of government” collaboration and high-quality federal spending data in fighting pandemic fraud.

7. New Website Features

We’ve added a lot of new content to our website, including fresh Data Stories , an Unemployment Insurance fraud map , state and local information , and more.

8. Virtual Events & Roundtables

We co-sponsored virtual roundtables on the impact of key relief programs on underserved communities, participated in a virtual conversation with the Congressional Transparency Caucus, and co-hosted webinars for state legislators and staff. You can view videos of these events here.

9. NBC Nightly News Coverage

We were featured on the network’s popular investigative series The Fleecing of America , reaching some 11 million viewers across the United States.

10. Data-Driven Insights & Tech-Enabled Investigations

We launched the Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence (PACE) and have since acquired dozens of data sets, hired top talent, and provided analytic, audit, and investigative support to the oversight community.

"What we have sought to do at the PRAC is develop a new model for conducting oversight in a crisis. It is built on a foundation of collaboration, the use of data analytics, and draws upon the existing capabilities of the oversight community."

Michael E. Horowitz, PRAC Chair

Overseeing $5 trillion takes data. Lots of data.

At the PRAC, we have been using data science to advance our oversight mission. With the funding Congress provided in the American Rescue Plan Act, we launched the Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence (the PACE) to deliver analytic, audit, and investigative support to the oversight community. We’ve acquired more than 20 public and non-public federal datasets, brought in the best and brightest data science talent, and have trained and placed them with our members to help analyze pandemic relief data.

Read more about how we’re using data analytics in the full report (pdf) .

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Our Task Force is holding fraudsters accountable.

Our Fraud Task Force serves as a resource for the IG community by surging investigative resources into areas with the greatest need: pandemic loan fraud. We now have 43 agents from 13 OIGs working cases that would otherwise go unaddressed due to the scale of the fraud we are seeing.

The Task Force works closely with other entities to combat pandemic fraud, including the Department of Justice COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. Collaboration like this resulted in two indictments this reporting period, including one of a repeat fraudster who schemed to obtain $7 million from EIDL and PPP and another who sought to obtain $1.6 million.

Read more about our efforts to fight fraud and waste in the full report (pdf).

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We’re making it easier for you to track your tax dollars.

Transparency is core to the PRAC mission laid out by Congress in the CARES Act. We continue to explore ways to engage the public and empower them to act as citizen watchdogs. We accomplish much of this work through our website.

Our interactive dashboards enable anyone to search through names and businesses that received PPP loans or money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund. This gives the power of oversight to the people.

In the past 6 months, we’ve updated the site’s organization, functionality, and design. We’ve added 23 new Data Stories , short and simple reads that break down the complexities of pandemic spending data. The result is a site with more visual impact and language that explains our work even more clearly and concisely.

See all our transparency and data accomplishments in the full report (pdf).

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We’re prioritizing issues that impact you.

The PRAC has five subcommittees and four issue groups (health care, financial institutions, data sharing, and identity fraud reduction and redress) to share ongoing oversight and accountability efforts, best practices, and lessons learned about risks and areas of concern. identity fraud has emerged as one of the leading concerns and is now a key priority for us in the months—and indeed, years —ahead.

Learn more about how we’re addressing this issue in the full report (pdf).

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