Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act. It is a bipartisan bill that strengthens fraud prevention efforts across the Federal Government.

Americans work hard for their money. They pay their taxes, follow the rules, and expect the Federal Government to treat every dollar with care.

Unfortunately, fraud in Federal programs remains far too common, and too often it could have been prevented. The problem is not only the bad actors who try to steal from the taxpayer. Too many Federal employees and program administrators are left without training, guidance, or tools they need to identify risks before taxpayer dollars go out the door.

The bill takes a commonsense step to fix that. The Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act directs the Department of the Treasury, in coordination with OMB and OPM, to establish a standardized, government-wide fraud prevention training program. That training would help Federal employees identify fraud risks, implement proven antifraud practices, and make better use of existing tools, including the Do Not Pay System.

It would also make these resources available to State and local governments that administer Federal funds.

That last point is important. Many Federal programs are not administered only in Washington. They depend on State and local partners who are often on the front lines and don't have any skin in game. If we want to protect taxpayer dollars, those partners need access to the same knowledge and best practices the Federal Government has.

Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar that cannot help a veteran, a senior, a small business, a family in need, a community that depends on Federal assistance, or pay down our ridiculous Federal debt. It is also a dollar added to the debt and a dollar taken from hardworking Americans who expect better from their government.

We should not wait until fraud has already occurred to ask what went wrong. We should train the Federal workforce to identify warning signs early, use the tools already available, and stop fraud before taxpayer dollars are wasted.

I thank Congressman Krishnamoorthi for leading the bipartisan effort with me. I also thank Chairman Comer for his leadership on the Oversight Committee and his work to hold the Federal Government accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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