Title: U.S. watchdogs guarding $5 trillion in covid aid say they need more money URL Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/28/covid-aid-pandemic-fraud-oversight-budget/ Published Time: 2022-12-28T11:00:00.124Z Markdown Content: [Accessibility statement](https://www.washingtonpost.com/accessibility/)[Skip to main content](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/28/covid-aid-pandemic-fraud-oversight-budget/#main-content) [Democracy Dies in Darkness](https://www.washingtonpost.com/) [Save and subscribe](https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?oscode=RPWH&s_l=ONSITE_HEADER_ARTICLE&p=s_v&s_ct=article&itid=nav_subscribe_logged_out&tid=nav_subscribe_logged_out&acqEntType=mktg_onsite_article&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fbusiness%2F2022%2F12%2F28%2Fcovid-aid-pandemic-fraud-oversight-budget%2F&arcId=NMZV3XYLX5ECVPRFESY6KROQAU)[Sign in](https://www.washingtonpost.com/subscribe/signin/?next_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fbusiness%2F2022%2F12%2F28%2Fcovid-aid-pandemic-fraud-oversight-budget%2F&nid=top_pb_signin&arcId=NMZV3XYLX5ECVPRFESY6KROQAU&account_location=ONSITE_HEADER_ARTICLE&itid=nav_sign_in) Democracy Dies in Darkness [Business](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/?itid=sn_business_title)[Economy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/)[Economic Policy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/economic-policy/)[Media](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/media/)[Personal Finance](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/personal-finance/)[Future of Work](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/work/)[Technology](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/?itid=sn_business_6/)[Business of Climate](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/business-of-climate/) [Business](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/?itid=sn_business_title)[Economy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/)[Economic Policy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/economic-policy/)[Media](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/media/)[Personal Finance](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/personal-finance/)[Future of Work](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/work/)[Technology](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/?itid=sn_business_6/)[Business of Climate](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/business-of-climate/) [The Covid Money Trail](https://www.washingtonpost.com/economy/) # U.S. watchdogs guarding $5 trillion in covid aid say they need more money As the Biden administration ramps up its work to target waste, fraud and abuse, a series of early pandemic missteps -- and lingering budget woes -- create headaches for the nation’s inspectors general. December 28, 2022 More than**3 years ago** 16 min 675 ![Image 1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/3OPTNNS4GAI6XKCJN6KCHJ277U_size-normalized.jpg&w=440%20400w) President Biden, with Vice President Harris and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony S. Fauci by his side, signs executive orders after speaking about the pandemic in the State Dining Room at the White House on Jan. 21, 2021. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) By [Tony Romm](https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tony-romm/) and [Yeganeh Torbati](https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/yeganeh-torbati/) Michael Horowitz came to Congress with a plea: If the U.S. government truly hoped to keep track of roughly $5 trillion in coronavirus aid, then federal watchdog agencies would need some new money of their own. [Get a curated selection of 10 of our best stories in your inbox every weekend.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/must-reads/?method=SURL&location=ART&initiative=CTA) It was June 2022, more than two years after the pandemic first arrived in the United States — and Horowitz, the leader of the country’s chief pandemic oversight body, said some of the government’s top officials could use the help. Criminals already had bilked billions of dollars from generous programs meant to help jobless Americans and small businesses in need, and Washington faced long, costly work to try to get it all back. * * * 675**Comments** ![Image 2](https://palomaimages.washingtonpost.com/prod/512x288_EconomyBusiness_tstmp_1623882368.jpg) Newsletter As news breaks ![Image 3](https://palomaimages.washingtonpost.com/prod/512x288_EconomyBusiness_tstmp_1623882368.jpg) Economy & Business Alerts Important breaking news emails on the issues around the economy and business. 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