Buchanan Looks to Stop Targeting Relatives of Those Who Received Social Security Overpayments

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced the Stop Punishing Innocent Taxpayers Act (HR 4491) on Friday. Buchanan, who sits on the Ways and Means Committee, insists his bill would stop the IRS from going after the relatives of Social Security recipients who received overpayments. The bill would restore a statute of limitations on federal debts to a 10-year period. Currently around 400,000 Americans who owe around $714 million from Social Security overpayments are being investigated by the federal government.

This is a simple matter of fairness, Buchanan said on Friday. Taxpayers should not be punished because the government miscalculated the federal benefits for their parents.

Buchanan has reeled in 20 co-sponsors from both parties, including fellow Florida Republican Congressmen Gus Bilirakis, Mario Diaz-Balart, David Jolly, Jeff Miller, Rich Nugent, Bill Posey, Tom Rooney, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ted Yoho.