Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation that I am proud to lead with Representative Self.

This bill is rooted in a pretty basic idea: If someone is convicted of defrauding a Federal program, they should not be able to turn around and keep doing business with the Federal Government. This isn't about politics. It is about protecting taxpayer dollars and making sure that the Federal Government is worthy of the trust that the people place in it.

In every community we represent, people work hard, pay their taxes, and expect government programs to be run with honesty and accountability.

Each year, the Federal Government awards more than $700 billion in contracts to various agencies. Taxpayers expect those dollars to support families, to strengthen communities, and to deliver the services Congress intended, not go back to people who have already been convicted of abusing public funds.

This issue was brought to us by the inspectors general, the public servants who spend every day rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse across the Federal Government. They identified a real gap in the current system.

Too often, individuals convicted of fraud involving Federal programs remain eligible to apply for and receive Federal contracts. Under current law, agencies can suspend or debar these individuals, but the process can be slow, staff intensive, and inconsistent.

We have been told that preparing one single suspension or debarment package can take up to 20 hours.

For agencies already operating with limited staff and growing backlogs, that means people who should be barred from Federal contracts can slip through the cracks. That is exactly the kind of problem Congress should be working together to fix.

According to a study by the inspectors general, of 550 felony fraud convictions involving pandemic-related Federal program funds over a 3- year period, more than 95 percent of those convicted were not suspended or debarred from doing business with the government. That is unacceptable.

Our bill creates a clear, commonsense standard: Individuals convicted of fraud involving Federal programs would be automatically ineligible for Federal contracts for at least 3 years. That means stronger accountability, more consistent enforcement, and more time for the inspectors general to focus on other cases of waste, fraud, and abuse.

The American people are owed more accountability and transparency into what taxpayer-funded contracts are being approved.

The Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act is a targeted, bipartisan solution to a documented problem. It protects taxpayers. It supports the work of the inspectors general, and it helps make sure Federal dollars go where they are supposed to go. I am grateful to the inspectors general who raised this issue and helped us develop this legislation, and I thank Representative Self for his partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act.

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