November 15, 2021
The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently published an editorial drawing heavily on research by Jetson Leder-Luis, assistant professor in markets, public policy, and law on the recent signing of the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) by President Biden. The editorial cites his findings on the waste and fraud that has been exposed in past, similar government spending initiatives.
Turning from the infrastructure deal to the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better bill still being negotiated the editorial cites his warning that, “Some of the money will undoubtedly be lost to fraud. How much is impossible to predict, but I believe a reasonable estimate based on past spending and research would put it at around 5 percent, or $150 billion.” Jetson highlights that the infrastructure package “includes very little language aimed at fighting fraud,” making more critical than ever that waste and fraud protections make their way into the larger $1.75 trillion package before passage.