{"id":2612846,"date":"2026-06-10T08:43:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dont-look-now-but-congress-is-actually-working-to-fight-fraudulent-spending\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T08:49:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:49:20","slug":"dont-look-now-but-congress-is-actually-working-to-fight-fraudulent-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dont-look-now-but-congress-is-actually-working-to-fight-fraudulent-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"Don&#8217;t Look Now, But Congress Is Actually Working To Fight Fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/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%2Fdont-look-now-but-congress-is-actually-working-to-fight-fraudulent-spending%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=2612846&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>Washington lawmakers are advancing measures aimed at curbing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs, moving from oversight activity to legislative action on the House floor. While the steps haven\u2019t all become law yet, the push is framed as a way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-state-employee-fakes-pregnancy-for-paid-time-off-again-gets-busted-after-co-worker-sees-womb-fall-off-report\/\" title=\"Georgia State Employee Fakes Pregnancy For Paid ... Off \u2014 Again. Gets Busted After Co-Worker Sees \u2018Womb\u2019 Fall Off: Report\">protect taxpayer dollars<\/a> and help address rising federal deficits.<\/p>\n<p>Most of this week\u2019s House floor time is expected to focus on anti-fraud bills. Proposed action includes requiring the Department of Education to add identity-fraud detection to FAFSA to protect federal student aid, along with resolutions supporting prepayment eligibility verification. Additional oversight-related proposals would let agencies pause payments when fraud risk is high, and would create a permanent inspector general built on fraud-investigating efforts tied to COVID-era spending.<\/p>\n<p>The House will also consider several other anti-fraud measures under \u201csuspension of the rules,\u201d including expanding the Treasury\u2019s \u201cDo Not pay\u201d system so more agencies use it to prevent improper payments, creating a programme for anti-fraud enforcement and training, authorizing cash awards for employees who identify waste or prevent financial losses, and restricting federal funds to individuals convicted of certain fraud-related felonies for a period of time after conviction.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the Oversight Commitee, other committees have also taken up anti-fraud steps-such as Ways and Means actions aimed at <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >recovering fraudulent unemployment benefits tied<\/a> to unused debit cards and combating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/philips-subsidiary-to-pay-over-24-million-for-alleged-false-claims-for-medical-equipment\/\" title=\"Philips subsidiary to pay over  million for alleged false claims for medical equipment\">durable medical equipment<\/a> fraud by requiring electronic submission of claims. The article concludes that dismantling fraud networks built over years will take time, but the recent legislative momentum suggests Congress increasingly recognizes the problem and is willing to act.  <\/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<div>\n<p>Would you believe it? Washington has finally begun to act to control wasteful government spending. From <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/hearing\/universal-basic-fraud-vulnerabilities-in-medicaid-waiver-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hearings<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/markup-wrap-up-oversight-committee-passes-sweeping-legislation-to-stop-fraud-in-federal-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">markups<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.majorityleader.gov\/schedule\/weekly-schedule.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">floor consideration<\/a>, legislators finally appear to be taking measures to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the proof is in the pudding, as the measures have some way to go before they get enacted into law. But the moves are all good signs that Congress understands the need to protect scarce taxpayer dollars and combat the crooks as one way to get <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/12\/we-could-completely-get-rid-of-social-security-and-it-still-wouldnt-balance-the-u-s-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spiraling federal deficits<\/a> back under control.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bills on the House Floor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Apart from approving a budget reconciliation bill providing funding for immigration enforcement that the Senate considered and passed last week, most of the legislative activity on the House floor this week will focus on various anti-fraud measures. <\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/hearing\/universal-basic-fraud-vulnerabilities-in-medicaid-waiver-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> from the House Education and Workforce Committee would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/senate-bill\/4428\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">require<\/a> that the Department of Education incorporate identity fraud detection systems into the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to prevent individuals from pilfering federal student aid dollars. A separate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/BILLS-119hres1335ih\/pdf\/BILLS-119hres1335ih.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resolution<\/a>, introduced last week by Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, would place the House of Representatives on record as \u201ccondemn[ing] the fraudulent actions of those seeking to defraud the United States Government\u201d and endorsing prepayment verification of program eligibility.<\/p>\n<p>The House will also consider under regular order two additional bills within the jurisdiction of the House Oversight Committee. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/BILLS-119hr8464rh\/pdf\/BILLS-119hr8464rh.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first<\/a> measure would require agency heads to temporarily halt payments if the agency determines that \u201cthe payment presents an elevated risk of fraud.\u201d The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/BILLS-119hr8312rh\/pdf\/BILLS-119hr8312rh.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">second<\/a> would establish a permanent inspector general designed to root out fraud, building upon the temporary Pandemic Response Accountability Committee created to investigate the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/09\/20\/new-report-nearly-triples-estimated-amount-covid-fraudsters-stole-in-unemployment-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explosion in fraud<\/a> associated with Covid-era spending.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Protecting Taxpayer Funds<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Beyond those measures, the House will also consider eight additional pieces of legislation, most of which the Oversight Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/markup-wrap-up-oversight-committee-passes-sweeping-legislation-to-stop-fraud-in-federal-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approved in late April<\/a>. These bills will come under suspension of the rules procedure, which allows for faster consideration of noncontroversial measures with broad bipartisan support.<\/p>\n<p>Included among the eight bills is a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/billsthisweek\/20260608\/H8463_SUS_xml.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">measure<\/a> to expand the Treasury\u2019s Do Not Pay system and ensure that other agencies utilize this system to prevent improper or fraudulent payments from going out the door. Another <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/billsthisweek\/20260608\/H8428_SUS_xml%2520(3).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> would establish a federal program for anti-fraud enforcement and training, so employees in federal offices have the tools to help investigate and detect fraud before it happens. <\/p>\n<p>A third <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/billsthisweek\/20260608\/H428_SUS_01_xml.FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">piece of legislation<\/a> would permit agency heads to provide cash awards of up to $20,000 to employees \u201cwhose identification of wasteful expenses to the Chief Financial Officer \u2026 has resulted in cost savings for the agency or prevented\u201d improper payments resulting in financial losses. And a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/billsthisweek\/20260608\/H6916_SUS_01_xml%2520(1).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fourth bill<\/a> would prohibit grants or other federal financial assistance from going to \u201can individual convicted of a covered felony arising out of any Federal contract\u201d or grant for three years following that person\u2019s conviction.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Additional Measures Likely<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While most of the action this week will focus on legislation approved by the Oversight Committee, other congressional committees have also acted on anti-fraud measures. Just before Memorial Day, the House Ways and Means Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/Committee\/Calendar\/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=119328\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marked up<\/a> a series of health care and related measures, several of which focused on fighting fraud.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, the Ways and Means Committee <a href=\"http:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/WM\/WM00\/20260521\/119328\/CRPT-119-WM00-Vote001-20260521-U1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unanimously<\/a> approved <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/WM\/WM00\/20260521\/119328\/BILLS-119-8873-S001195-Amdt-1-U7.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislation<\/a> that would require the Department of Labor to work with states to recover some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/11\/labor-dept-has-done-nothing-to-recover-half-a-billion-dollars-in-suspected-covid-fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly $1 billion<\/a> in fraudulent Covid-era unemployment benefits that are sitting in unused bank debit cards. It also approved <a href=\"http:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/WM\/WM00\/20260521\/119328\/BILLS-119-8871-S001195-Amdt-1-U5.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislation<\/a> designed to crack down on fraud relating to durable medical equipment (DME), such as wheelchairs, back braces, etc., requiring electronic submission of all DME claims as a program integrity measure. The full House will likely consider these measures in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The pervasive, permissive culture of fraud revealed in recent months took time to accumulate within the federal government. It will likewise take time to dismantle these structures and networks built up over many years. But at least the kinds of actions seen this week show that Congress (or much of Congress, anyway) understands the problem and is willing to take action to begin to solve it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>      Chris Jacobs is founder and CEO of Juniper Research Group and author of the book &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1645720020\">The Case Against Single Payer<\/a>.&#8221; He is on Twitter: <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/chrisjacobsHC\">@chrisjacobsHC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Would you believe it? Washington has begun tackling wasteful spending<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":2612847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/One-Hundred-Dollar-Bill-on-Orange.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4402,43425,51050,38235],"class_list":["post-2612846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-congress","tag-fraud-prevention","tag-law-enforcement-2","tag-policy-reform"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/One-Hundred-Dollar-Bill-on-Orange.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612846","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\/521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612846"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612854,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612846\/revisions\/2612854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}