June 9, 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. 8312, the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), and H.R. 8464, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act, sponsored by Rep. James Comer (R-KY). These two bills safeguard taxpayer dollars from being squandered on fraudulent payments by implementing commonsense reforms to the federal bureaucracy.
According to the Government Accountability Office, the federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud. With interest on the national debt already consuming about 13% of the entire U.S. federal budget, allowing billions in tax dollars to be routinely pocketed by fraudsters is simply unconscionable.
Building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, H.R. 8312 institutionalizes the successful anti-fraud infrastructure created by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which saved billions of taxpayer dollars through its efforts. A permanent Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery (IGFAR) in the Treasury Department would have a government-wide mandate to work with individual agency inspectors general to detect and prevent fraud across federal programs.
H.R. 8464 addresses the longstanding “pay and chase” problem in mitigating fraudulent activity by empowering federal agencies to block payments when there is a known risk of fraud or improper payment. This bill would also give the Treasury Department the authority to return payment requests to federal agencies for corrective action when fraud risks are identified.
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 preventing fraud before it occurs, these two bills are exactly the kind of practical, good-government reforms needed to restore the public’s 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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