On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved two anti-fraud bills that received strong backing from Republicans and garnered support from numerous Democrats. These measures are designed to enhance federal oversight of taxpayer-funded programs and to establish a new division within the Department of Justice (DOJ) dedicated to combating fraud.
One of the bills approved by the House is the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026 (H.R. 9576). The bill was introduced by Republican Study Committee (RSC) Member Brad Finstad (MN-01).
New Legislation Aims to Enhance Fraud Detection in Federal Programs
A new bill, known as the PROOF Act, has been introduced by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey) to improve oversight of federal funding. The legislation mandates that states disclose data from government-funded programs, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This initiative is designed to support federal fraud investigators and prosecutors in identifying potential misuse of funds.
Rep. Van Drew emphasized that the goal of the PROOF Act is to provide investigators with the necessary information to ensure federal money is used appropriately, thereby enhancing accountability in these vital programs.
The House approved the bill by a 352-72 vote, with 139 Democrats joining all Republicans, according to congressional vote tallies reported by Capitol Hill correspondent Craig Caplan. House Republicans said the Trump administration has identified nearly $250 billion in alleged fraud across federal programs and argued the legislation would make those enforcement efforts permanent.
Van Drew said after the House vote, “States should not be able to block important fraud investigations when federal taxpayer dollars are involved.” Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin voted in favor. If passed, the division would be required to be led by an Assistant Attorney General for Fraud Enforcement appointed under federal law.
This bill would permanently establish the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, which the Trump administration created earlier this year to investigate large-scale fraud involving federal funds.
