Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Tanf Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 8872. Democrats strongly oppose fraud, and that is why Representative Judy Chu and I introduced H.R. 2108, the TANF State Expenditure Integrity Act, which would give the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services specific authority to monitor sub-grantee expenditures, to ensure that they are consistent with TANF's purpose of helping poor children.

When they are not, as was the case in the egregious fraud perpetrated by Brett Favre and Governor Phil Bryant in Mississippi, H.R. 2108 would require the State to recover the funds and provide them directly to the poor families they were intended for.

Republicans refused to work with us to enact that bill, which the U.S. Government Accountability Office identified as a bill that addressed their concerns about TANF program integrity.

Instead, less than 48 hours before our markup, they introduced H.R. 8872. This GOP bill would not enable a single fraud investigation. It would not recover a penny for the poor families TANF is supposed to help. It would not have protected the children of Mississippi, when multimillionaire Brett Favre used millions of dollars in TANF funds to build a volleyball stadium and invest in health stocks, nor would it reinstate the fraud-related penalty against Mississippi that the Trump administration canceled.

What H.R. 8872 would do is give Health and Human Services new power to decide what to call fraud and how to measure it. This GOP bill would give the Trump administration new power to seize confidential beneficiary data, levy penalties, and cut off State funding to help poor children.

We know exactly what to expect if we give HHS more power, because this January, the Department of Health and Human Services abruptly froze $10 billion in critical social services funding for five States, including my home State of Illinois, to exact revenge on Governors who stood up to President Trump.

The Trump administration intentionally chose to harm vulnerable families, children, small businesses, and communities in five States: namely, Illinois, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York, to settle a political score, and the Republicans in this House remained silent, not a word.

Fortunately, current law limits an administration's authority to weaponize support for low-income families. Consequently, the courts issued a restraining order that is essential to protecting tens of millions of children and families. If they had not, The Century Foundation estimates it would have cost struggling families $400 million in lost earnings and help alone, not to mention the radiating harm to businesses, communities, and economies.

Now, the Republican leadership advances this farce of a bill to erase those protections, all while failing to address the biggest source of TANF fraud.

If Republicans want to protect taxpayers, they should stop accusing hardworking parents and look to the graft and vanity projects they keep enabling.

Over the 17 months he has been back in office, President Trump increased his net worth by over $4 billion by selling cryptocurrency, insider trading, and leveraging his position. Most recently, the President spent $5 million of taxpayer money to coat bronze statues in gold leaf, enough money to buy a week's worth of groceries for 20,000 families.

If Republicans want to protect taxpayers, then, at the very least, Congress should not give HHS any new power to harm families the next time President Trump decides to lash out at a Governor who spoke up about the harm his policies and corruptions have done to American families.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I just want to remind my colleagues that despite the rhetoric we will hear this afternoon on the floor, there is nothing in this bill that actually addresses fraud in the TANF program. Nowhere in H.R. 8872, outside of its title, does the word ``fraud'' even appear in this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

President Trump's economy has zero job creation. Skyrocketing gas prices and costly childcare make it more difficult and more expensive to work, crushing workers and families. Wage growth is slowing.

Alarmingly, this bill we consider today in the people's House intentionally fails to address any of those problems, nor does this bill take action to punish wealthy and well-connected people, people who stole tens of millions of dollars Congress provided to help some of the poorest children in Mississippi and throughout the country.

Instead, this bill would give the Trump administration's Health and Human Services new power to cut off assistance to struggling families and poor children based on the new ``error rate,'' calculations that they define to advance their cruel designs under Project 2025.

When we help Americans who are struggling pay for food, utilities, or healthcare, Republicans are quick to label it welfare and accuse recipients of fraud.

But when the Department of Justice reaches into taxpayers' pockets and steals $1.8 billion for a slush fund to pay the President and his allies, including convicted criminals who beat police officers guarding the Capitol on January 6, they remain and have remained silent.

When taxpayers' pockets pay for the President's self-anointed immunity for tax fraud not only for himself but also for his businesses and his family, it is truly reprehensible that my colleagues would remain silent.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill and to speak out against the real fraud and corruption poisoning our country. Let's make sure that we continue to help those poor, needy families and poor, needy children who need the benefits coming from a just society.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote ``no'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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