United States President Donald Trump has called for tougher punishment for people convicted of defrauding federal healthcare and social security programmes, proposing mandatory prison terms instead of probation.
Trump made the demand on Saturday in a video shared on Truth Social, where he urged Congress to enact legislation that would impose stricter penalties on individuals involved in fraud against Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Under the proposal, offenders convicted of stealing from the programmes would no longer be eligible for probation.
“Under our proposal, probation is no longer an option for the fraudsters,” Trump said.
The US President said the length of imprisonment should correspond with the amount of money stolen, arguing that offenders who commit large-scale fraud should face significantly longer sentences.
“If you steal from the American people, you will go to prison and for a long period of time.
“And the more you steal, the longer you’ll stay in that prison,” he said.
Trump also advocated harsher penalties for repeat offenders, proposing that anyone convicted of fraud against the programmes for a second time should receive twice the original sentence.
“If you’re a convicted fraudster who gets caught stealing from the American people a second time, your sentence will be doubled,” he said.
Beyond the direct perpetrators, Trump said government officials who knowingly allow fraud to persist could also face financial consequences.
He proposed making state and local politicians personally responsible for taxpayer funds lost where they are aware of fraudulent activities, have the power to intervene, but fail to do so.
“If a state or local politician knows about fraud and has the ability to stop it, but does nothing about it, they can be personally liable for the full loss of the American taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Trump said the proposed measures were intended to discourage individuals from exploiting government benefit programmes while also compelling public officials to act when they become aware of fraudulent activities.
His call comes as US authorities continue to intensify efforts to tackle alleged fraud involving government-funded healthcare programmes.
In June, the US Department of Justice announced charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, over alleged healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims.
“So from now on, fraudsters, we’re watching you,” he added.
Trump seeks mandatory jail terms for medicare, medicaid fraudsters