September 15, 2026
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National Taxpayers Union, the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, urges all members to vote “YES” on two anti-fraud bills slated for consideration. H.R. 9576, the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN), and H.R. 10326, the Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds (PROOF) Act, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), safeguard taxpayer dollars from being squandered on fraud by implementing commonsense reforms to the federal bureaucracy.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud. With interest on the national debt already consuming more than 13% of the entire U.S. federal budget, allowing billions of taxpayer dollars to be routinely pocketed by fraudsters is a profound disservice to taxpayers.
H.R. 9576 would bolster the federal government’s capacity to proactively fight fraud by making the National Fraud Enforcement Division permanent within the Department of Justice. This legislation would also create an Assistant Attorney General with a mandate to pursue fraud in federally funded programs. Fraud in federal programs remains a systemic, highly entrenched problem, and creating a centralized office to help coordinate enforcement efforts across the federal bureaucracy is vital for taxpayers.
H.R. 10326 would help detect fraud in federally funded programs by enhancing information sharing between the federal government and the states. Programs that are administered by state governments but funded in part by federal taxpayers can be especially susceptible to fraud. This is partly the result of the moral hazard created by federal matching funds, which lowers the incentive for state officials to carefully safeguard tax dollars. This commonsense legislation streamlines communication procedures between the federal and state governments and codifies privacy protections for individuals.
Scandals involving fraudulent government payments and the widespread misuse of taxpayer dollars have made headlines around the country in recent months. By placing an emphasis on fraud prevention, these two bills are exactly the kind of practical, good-government reforms needed to restore public trust in government.
Roll call votes will be included in NTU’s annual rating of Congress and “YES” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Policy and Government Affairs Manager Alexander Ciccone at aciccone@ntu.org
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