{"id":2585948,"date":"2026-04-01T06:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fund-the-iran-war-by-ending-welfare-fraud\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T06:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:27:18","slug":"fund-the-iran-war-by-ending-welfare-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fund-the-iran-war-by-ending-welfare-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Fund the Iran war by ending welfare fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffund-the-iran-war-by-ending-welfare-fraud%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585948&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece discusses how Congress is likely to address funding for a war with Iran, with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >budget analysts estimating roughly 0 billion needed<\/a>. As the House margin is slim,the management may rely on offsetting that cost with cuts elsewhere,perhaps through a reconciliation package. A central focus is reforming welfare programs to reduce fraud and waste as a primary way to finance the spending.<\/p>\n<p>Key points include:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Republicans advocate cracking down on welfare fraud and waste, arguing it could provide notable savings and support a broader reconciliation package.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wis-voter-id-loophole-raises-renewed-concerns\/\" title=\"WI&#039;s Voter ID &#039;Loophole&#039; Raises Renewed Concerns\">article cites examples<\/a> of welfare fraud (e.g., fraud in Minnesota childcare, large-scale improper payments in Medicaid, SNAP, and EITC) and cites GAO data highlighting the scale of improper payments.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Proposed reforms aim to prevent fraud and improve transparency,such as: allowing states to access IRS tax return data,instituting uniform identity-verification standards for online aid,banning self-attestation,expanding data sharing between federal and state systems,and reforming asset limits.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It also emphasizes outcome tracking, urging programs to measure long-term results (employment, wages, and educational enrollment) after participants leave programs to ensure aid improves lives.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The authors argue that stopping fraud and waste is morally and fiscally strong public policy,and that a serious reconciliation bill should protect the vulnerable while punishing fraud and ensuring dollars serve their intended purpose.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Fund the Iran war by ending welfare fraud<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2547486\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>When Congress returns from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4497905\/john-thune-no-senate-break-without-dhs-funding\/\">Easter recess<\/a>, it will have one item on its agenda:<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4486781\/how-much-war-iran-war-cost-us\/\"> Paying for the war <\/a>in Iran. Budget analysts say the president will <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4497849\/pete-hegseth-confirms-200-billion-dollar-pentagon-request-iran-war\/\">need $200 billion<\/a> to finish the job.<\/p>\n<p>That $200 billion is possible. But with a zero-vote margin in the House, the only realistic option will be to offset that increase by cutting costs elsewhere. Republicans can do that through a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4502081\/four-obstacles-second-reconciliation-bill\/\">reconciliation package<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/4510568\/kristi-noem-shield-of-americas-trip-change-security-doctrine\/\">Noem&rsquo;s Shield of the Americas trip signals big change in security doctrine<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4511775\/trump-iran-doesnt-have-make-deal-war\/\">Trump says Iran doesn&rsquo;t have to make a deal for war to end<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4511499\/state-department-warning-kittleson-kidnapping\/\">State Department says it warned US journalist of threats against her before abduction<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Congressional Republicans appear to agree on a clear target: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/op-eds\/4509220\/trump-crack-down-minneapolis-food-stamp-retailer-fraud\/\">welfare fraud<\/a> and waste. Three in four likely voters want the federal government to crack down on fraud in welfare programs, especially food stamps. Eliminating fraud is not just a talking point, it is a real way to save billions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/op-eds\/4509220\/trump-crack-down-minneapolis-food-stamp-retailer-fraud\/\">TRUMP IS CRACKING DOWN ON THE WELFARE FRAUD NO ONE&rsquo;S TALKING ABOUT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The news is filled with examples of welfare fraud: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4438102\/congress-must-act-crack-down-child-care-fraud\/\">Minnesota childcare centers <\/a>without children, a New York adult day care center billing $68 million for nonexistent services, a Minneapolis woman fleecing $250 million from a food program for kids, and Mississippi officials diverting $5 million in welfare assistance to build a volleyball arena.<\/p>\n<p>These examples are not cherry-picking. In 2024 alone, Medicaid Fraud Control Units recovered $1.4 billion. Trafficked benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amount to about $1.27 billion a year.<\/p>\n<p>Voters know this is only the surface of the problem. We catch the fraud we look for.<\/p>\n<p>Congress can help states investigate and prosecute fraudsters, but states need more tools. For instance, Congress could allow <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4485241\/minnesota-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-every-state\/\">state investigators<\/a> to access IRS tax return data. That would be a major help in combating household-composition fraud, as well as Earned Income Tax Credit and SNAP fraud. Congress could also allow states to retain more of their recoveries and require that those funds be reinvested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inspector-general-46-billion-in-covid-unemployment-subsidies-probably-went-to-fraudsters\/\" title=\"Inspector General:  Billion In \u2018Covid\u2019 Unemployment Subsidies Probably Went To ...sters\">anti-fraud efforts<\/a>, as was proposed in the 2024 Farm Bill.<\/p>\n<p>The real game changer, however, is prevention. Too often, we hear about fraud only after the money is already out the door. Simple reforms could change that.<\/p>\n<p>Congress should create uniform identity-verification standards for all online government assistance programs so bad actors can&rsquo;t access benefits in the first place. Other reforms &mdash; such as banning self-attestation, opening federal data sources for state data matches, and reforming asset limits so millionaires can&rsquo;t qualify for welfare benefits &mdash; would help ensure aid goes to the people who actually need it.<\/p>\n<p>Taxpayers also understand that the problem goes beyond outright fraud. There&rsquo;s waste, too. And that waste has been enabled by poorly written laws that create obfuscation rather than clarity. There&rsquo;s obvious resistance to transparency &mdash; 21 states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture simply for requesting data on SNAP recipients receiving benefits funded by federal taxpayers. Without real transparency and meaningful measurement of outcomes, we will never achieve the goal of helping our neighbors: self-sufficiency and flourishing.<\/p>\n<p>The Government Accountability Office has tracked <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3349412\/congress-tries-stop-fraudulent-improper-spending\/\">improper payments<\/a> for decades, and welfare programs are consistently among the worst offenders. Its fiscal 2024 report found $31.1 billion in improper Medicaid payments, $15.9 billion for EITC, and $10.5 billion for SNAP. And that&rsquo;s only the waste we know about.<\/p>\n<p>This is fixable. We can track who receives welfare benefits. Congress could require states to provide both safety-net beneficiaries and providers with an annual IRS information return disclosing the total value of benefits received, broken out by program. There&rsquo;s precedent for this. States and other administering agencies already use Form 1099-G to report federally funded, non-taxable benefits such as unemployment compensation, agricultural payments, and state or local tax refunds.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/4508557\/stop-pretending-iran-war-not-necessary\/\">STOP PRETENDING THE IRAN WAR WASN&rsquo;T NECESSARY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even more importantly, we need to know whether this spending actually leads to better lives. Only two federal income-based programs track outcomes after participants exit. That&rsquo;s how we know when a program fails &mdash; we can track when former enrollees end up earning less, not more. States and providers should be required to track employment, wages, and educational enrollment after people leave a program so we can determine whether they are truly better off.<\/p>\n<p>If Congress needs to find $200 billion, it should begin where public support is strongest and the moral case is clearest: stopping fraud and waste in welfare programs. Americans do not object to helping people get back on their feet. They object to a system that too often rewards dishonesty, hides failure, and spends billions without proving results. A serious <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4487286\/house-republicans-reconciliation-despite-trump-indifference\/\">reconciliation bill <\/a>should reflect that common-sense bargain: Protect the vulnerable, punish the fraudsters, and demand that every taxpayer dollar serve its intended purpose.<\/p>\n<p><em>Les Ford is a Senior Fellow at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/allianceforopportunity.com\/\">Alliance for Opportunity<\/a>, and Andrew McClenahan is the Intergovernmental Board Co-Chair at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucowf.net\/\">United Council on Welfare Fraud<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finance Iran war by ending welfare fraud<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4229,"featured_media":2585949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iran-war-e1774671320192.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4463,3823,4326,76935,41900],"class_list":["post-2585948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-budget","tag-iran","tag-policy","tag-war-funding-2","tag-welfare-fraud"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iran-war-e1774671320192.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4229"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585948"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585952,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585948\/revisions\/2585952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}