WATCH: Langworthy talks Minnesota, Medicaid, bad actors, “corruption tax”
Washington, D.C.—June 11, 2026…Congressman Nick Langworthy today applauded House passage of a package of anti-fraud and government accountability legislation aimed at reducing government fraud, protecting taxpayer dollars, and restoring trust in government spending.
The legislation follows extensive investigations by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform into major fraud schemes that exposed serious weaknesses in federal and state oversight systems.
“As Americans continue to struggle with the cost of living, they deserve to know their tax dollars are being spent responsibly,” said Congressman Langworthy. “For too long, Washington has operated under a ‘pay first, ask questions later’ model that has allowed fraudsters to exploit government programs and steal billions from taxpayers. This legislation changes that by putting safeguards in place before money goes out the door. It’s common sense and we need to make it the law of the land.”
As a member of the House Oversight Committee, Congressman Langworthy participated in hearings examining the massive fraud schemes in Minnesota that allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to be stolen and exposed deep flaws in government oversight.
“The Minnesota fraud scandals lifted the veil on just how easy it is for bad actors to exploit the system and get rich off taxpayer dollars,” Congressman Langworthy said. “What happened there wasn’t an isolated incident–it exposed systemic weaknesses that need to be corrected immediately. There is nothing more insulting for taxpayers than turning over their hard-earned income to the government only to allow it to be stolen.”
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federal government loses an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion annually to fraud, representing between 3 and 7 percent of total federal obligations. This package of legislation is designed to stop fraud in all 50 states, including New York, which is notorious for Medicaid fraud. A 2022 audit by the New York State Comptroller identified nearly $1 billion in Medicaid billing errors and improper payments, including payments made to providers who were no longer eligible to participate in the program.
Congressman Langworthy highlighted how the anti-fraud package is critical to his broader effort to improve affordability for working families.
He concluded, “The Working Families Tax Cut brought meaningful tax relief to working and middle-class families, but we must also tackle the spending side of the ledger as well. We cannot continue asking taxpayers to send more money to Washington while tolerating a system that loses hundreds of billions of dollars each year through preventable fraud. Stopping waste, fraud, and abuse isn’t just good government, it’s essential to making life more affordable for hardworking Americans.”
The House-passed package includes several major reforms:
Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act
The legislation makes permanent the successful anti-fraud data analytics and investigative tools developed during the pandemic, creates a government-wide Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, and improves agencies’ ability to identify suspicious activity across federal programs.
Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act
The bill shifts federal agencies away from a failed “pay and chase” model by allowing Treasury to flag suspicious payments before taxpayer dollars are disbursed, helping prevent fraud before it occurs rather than attempting to recover funds after they are lost.
No Aid for Ghost Students Act
The legislation strengthens identity verification requirements for federal student aid programs to prevent scammers from using stolen or fraudulent identities to collect taxpayer-funded financial assistance intended for legitimate students.
