President Donald Trump signed two bipartisan bills on Wednesday that aim to protect Americans from Social Security identity‑theft and increase transparency for costly federal projects. The legislation, H.R. 5345 and S. 766, reflects the administration’s commitment to accountability and efficient government service.
New help for Social Security identity‑theft victims
The Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to establish a single, specially trained point of contact for individuals whose Social Security numbers have been misused in connection with benefits, records, or requests for new numbers. The team will track cases through resolution and maintain continuity even when personnel change. The provision becomes effective 180 days after enactment.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith highlighted the growing problem, noting more than 3,000 data breaches in 2024, with over half involving compromised Social Security numbers. He warned that victims often bounce between offices, receiving conflicting instructions and enduring months of stress.
The law does not turn the SSA into the federal government’s general identity‑theft agency; victims will still be directed to the Federal Trade Commission for broader identity‑theft concerns.
Greater oversight of bloated federal projects
The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 mandates annual public reporting on taxpayer‑funded projects that are either more than five years behind schedule or exceed their original cost estimates by at least $1 billion. Covered projects include major acquisitions, defense programs, construction, remediation, and other large‑scale federal initiatives.
Agencies must disclose original and revised completion dates, cost estimates, reasons for delays or overruns, scope changes, federal funding amounts, and primary contractors or grant recipients. The Office of Management and Budget will compile the data into an annual report for Congress and make it publicly available. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the reporting requirement will cost about $1 million between FY 2025 and FY 2030.
Senator Joni Ernst (R‑IA), sponsor of the bill, cited more than a dozen projects totaling over $162 billion in overruns, including the Veterans Affairs electronic health‑record modernization program, a Bay Area rail‑transit extension, and NASA’s Artemis moon‑mission booster contracts.
While the new law does not automatically cancel or defund projects that cross the thresholds, it forces agencies to explain the causes of cost growth and delays, providing taxpayers with clearer insight into federal spending.
Both measures cleared Congress with bipartisan support before reaching the President’s desk. With Trump’s signature, the SSA has 180 days to implement the identity‑theft contact point, and the federal‑project reporting requirements will begin moving toward implementation.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
