On February 12, 2025, Haywood Talcove, Chief Executive Officer of LexisNexis Risk Solutions for Government, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency
. In his testimony, Talcove addressed the critical issue of fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs, highlighting that since 2003, federal agencies have reported approximately $2.7 trillion in improper payments.
He emphasized the necessity of implementing robust identity verification measures, eliminating self-certification processes, and conducting continuous auditing to prevent fraudulent activities.
Talcove also advocated for updating the 1974 Privacy Act to facilitate better data matching and sharing, which would enhance the government’s ability to detect and prevent fraud.
Haywood Talcove: «My current estimate, between the federal, state, and local governments, is that you could save a trillion dollars a year just by implementing identity verification upfront, eliminating self-certification, and monitoring the post-process of the programs providing the benefits. Those three things.»
