WATCH: Senators slam fraud, call for welfare scrutiny in Minnesota

(The Center Square) – U.S. Senators on Wednesday called for more scrutiny over welfare payments and railed against allegations of fraud in Minnesota and across the country.

The senators hosted individuals to testify about allegations of fraud in Minnesota and elsewhere. The senators accused elected officials in Minnesota of knowingly covering up fraudulent payments to daycare centers and allowing welfare recipients to funnel money abroad.

“In Minnesota, a welfare system designed to uplift the most vulnerable children was treated like an open ATM, exploiting both taxpayers and the public trust extended to immigrant communities,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said.

Cruz claimed Minnesota officials ignored more than a decade of media reports and state audits that claimed hundreds of millions of dollars were lost to fraudulent payments. He said legislators in Minnesota did not enforce laws to crack down on fraudulent payments.

“They treated legislation as a press release, not a mandat...