Vice President JD Vance wants Congress to codify the work that the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is doing, and the Republican Study Committee (RSC) made it clear that it wants to work hand-in-hand with the White House on doing just that.
Following Vance’s exhortation, Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), the RSC’s chairman, noted that his committee “has been at the forefront of the fight against waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs…Now Congress must finish the job. The RSC has put forward a framework to codify these anti-fraud measures into law. There is no excuse for delay. Taxpayers deserve the certainty that their dollars are protected, and that every loophole exploited by fraudsters is closed for good.”
One of the planks of the RSC’s latest reconciliation framework stems directly from the reports of massive fraud in America, particularly in the healthcare system. The policy, released by the RSC, to “enact iron-clad program integrity reforms for federal childcare programs to prevent the next Minnesota fraud scandal,” is something that RSC members explained in the wake of Vance’s announcement, is only the tip of the iceberg of what they want to focus on.
“The American people are sick and tired of watching their hard-earned tax dollars get siphoned off by fraudsters,” Rep. Mark Alford (R., Mo.) explained. “Thanks to Vice President Vance and the White House Fraud Task Force, we’ve already stopped tens of billions in fraudulent payments, but we can’t let that progress be temporary. Congress must act now to lock these reforms into law, close the loopholes for good, and protect every taxpayer dollar. This is commonsense accountability.”
Rep. Blake Moore (R., Utah), the vice chair of the House Republican Conference, noted that fraud in the government is nothing new, but that President Donald Trump and Vance are finally doing something about it.
“For too long the American people have paid the invisible tax of fraud in our government programs,” Moore said. “I am grateful Vice President Vance and the Trump Administration are taking this crime seriously and responding with meaningful and tangible action. I will continue to find legislative solutions to identify, prosecute, and prevent fraud so taxpayer dollars are put to their intended use.”
Vance won quick praise from one of his home state colleagues, Rep. Dave Taylor (R., Ohio), who said that “American families deserve more than having their hard-earned tax dollars siphoned away by fraudsters chasing a quick payday.”
“Vice President Vance is leading the charge to hold bad actors accountable, and I urge Congress to codify the White House Task Force to ensure this transparency and accountability lasts for generations to come,” Taylor added.
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R., Tenn.) said that she too believes that the problem has been going on “for years.”
“Washington bureaucrats let fraudsters run wild with the American taxpayer’s money while Democrats fought tooth and nail against every commonsense reform to stop it,” Harshbarger said. “Vice President Vance and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud have already clawed back $56 billion and exposed $230 billion in fraud that the swamp let slide for years. That’s proof this administration is serious about ending the grift. Congress needs to codify these reforms into law now, before the same bureaucrats who enabled this theft get another chance to bury it. I’m proud to fight alongside President Trump and Vice President Vance to protect hard-earned tax dollars, and I won’t let Washington go back to business as usual.”
For Rep. Rudy Yakym, (R., Ind.) the need to combat fraud comes back in part to fiscal responsibility. “Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar taken from a Hoosier who earned it,” Yakym explained. “President Trump and Vice President Vance are finally putting a stop to it, and I’m all in on that fight. Now Congress has to answer the Vice President’s call and codify these anti-fraud reforms into law.”
Rep. Sheri Biggs (R., S.C.) praised the Trump administration’s work to combat fraud, calling it “historic.”
“Under President Trump, Vice President Vance, and House Republicans, there has been a historic crack down on waste, fraud, and corruption,” Biggs said. “I am proud the Republican party has been the party of safeguarding the American people’s hard earned tax dollars. It is time to make these reforms permanent and codify the Fraud Task Force as a long-term legitimate solution to making the federal government work better for the average American citizen.”
