Trump Signs Kennedy Bill Ending Government Payments to Deceased Americans: 'Using Dead Americans to Rip Off Taxpayers Is as Low as It Gets'

Ben Smith : Feb 12, 2026
RedState

[RedState.com] President Donald Trump signed Sen. John Kennedy's (R-LA) Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act into law this week, permanently closing a loophole that allowed taxpayer dollars to be sent to people who had already died. Yes, that was happening. Sen. Kennedy has pressed the issue for years. His 2020 bipartisan reform temporarily required the Social Security Administration to share its Death Master File with the Treasury Department to prevent improper payments. That three-year safeguard was projected to save at least $330 million between 2024 and 2026. The new law makes that data-sharing permanent and strengthens the Treasury's Do Not Pay system, allowing agencies to cross-check death records before sending money out the door... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here Click Here to read. (Image: Created by Grok AI)