Providing for Consideration of H.R. Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Condemning Actors Seeking to Defraud the United States Government, and Expressing the Sense of the House of Representatives That Governmentwide Fraud and Improper Payment Prevention Reforms Will Meaningfully Improve the Financial Prosperity of the United States, and That Federal Program Eligibility Should Be Verified Before Payment; and Providing for Consideration of S. Secure America Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1345 and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 1345

Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 8312) to establish fraud prevention and program integrity functions and data sharing authorities within the Department of Treasury and a permanent governmentwide Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 8464) to amend title 31, United States Code, to authorize pausing and segmenting payments, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 3. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order without intervention of any point of order to consider in the House the resolution (H. Res. 1335) condemning actors seeking to defraud the United States Government, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that governmentwide fraud and improper payment prevention reforms will meaningfully improve the financial prosperity of the United States, and that Federal program eligibility should be verified before payment. The resolution shall be considered as read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees.

Sec. 4. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (S. 2) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 33. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to commit.

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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave
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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1345 provides consideration for four measures. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8312, H.R. 8464, and H. Res. 1335 under closed rules, with 1 hour of debate each equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, or their designees, and provides one motion to recommit for H.R. 8312 and H.R. 8464.

The rule also provides for consideration of S. 2 under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget, or their designees, and provides for one motion to commit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

The rule before us provides for consideration of four measures that address two of the Federal Government's most fundamental responsibilities: Safeguarding taxpayer dollars and protecting the American people.

At a time when Americans are demanding greater accountability from Washington, these measures represent commonsense steps to ensure that government is carrying out the basic responsibilities that taxpayers expect it to perform.

Mr. Speaker, every year, Washington loses hundreds of billions of dollars, taxpayer dollars, to fraud, improper payments, and abuse. Every year, Americans are told the same exact thing: Nothing can be done about it. Well, if you don't try, nothing can be done about it.

Taxpayer dollars go out the door, fraudsters cash the checks, government bureaucrats write reports about what happens after the fact, and taxpayers are left holding the bill.

Americans are, frankly, tired of it. They are tired of watching Washington lose track of billions of dollars while hardworking families are expected to just pay the tab and not worry about it.

Nowhere has this failure been more visible than in the State of Minnesota. Americans watched as massive fraud schemes ripped off taxpayers and exposed just how vulnerable government programs become when oversight disappears and accountability takes a back seat.

The lesson should be obvious: When government fails to verify eligibility, fraudsters take advantage. Republicans believe that taxpayers deserve better than that.

Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8464, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act. The idea behind the legislation is very simple. If government officials identify warning signs that a payment may be fraudulent, why should taxpayers be forced to send that money out the door anyway? Why?

No family should knowingly write a check to someone they believe may be trying to scam them, yet that is effectively what Washington has allowed to happen time and again for years.

H.R. 8464 helps put an end to that government mentality. Instead of waiting for taxpayer dollars to disappear, and then attempting to chase them down after the fact, this bill focuses on preventing fraud before it occurs. It allows agencies to pause, segment, or stop payments that present elevated fraud risks before taxpayer dollars are lost. That is simple common sense.

The Federal Government should not knowingly send money to fraudsters and hope everything works out on the back end.

Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 8312, the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act. The COVID pandemic exposed serious weaknesses in the Federal Government's ability to protect taxpayer dollars. In the rush to move money out the door, fraudsters saw a cash register. Billions of taxpayer dollars were stolen. Criminals exploited gaps in oversight, and Americans were left wondering how can so much money disappear with so little level of accountability.

H.R. 8312 helps ensure that the Federal Government never again starts from scratch when confronting large-scale fraud. The bill establishes a permanent, governmentwide antifraud capability, preserves the successful oversight tools developed in response to taxpayer spending and scamming, and strengthens the ability for inspectors general and watchdogs to identify fraud before billions more taxpayer dollars disappear.

Fraudsters are constantly adapting, and government oversight should not remain stuck in the distant past. This legislation ensures future administrations have the tools necessary to protect taxpayers when the next emergency inevitably arrives.

Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for consideration of H. Res. 1335. At its core, this resolution recognizes a simple truth: Fraud is not a victimless crime. It says fraud should be condemned. It says Congress should stand on the side of the taxpayers rather than fraudsters trying to exploit the system.

Taken together, these measures represent a clear change in approach by government. Instead of chasing taxpayer dollars after they disappear, Republicans are focused on preventing fraud before it happens. Instead of looking the other way when billions of dollars are lost and stolen, Republicans are demanding accountability.

Mr. Speaker, whether it is protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud or protecting communities from criminals, cartels, traffickers, and dangerous narcotics, the principle is exactly the same: Government has a responsibility to do the job that the American people expect it to do.

That brings me to the importance of fully funding Customs and Border Protection and immigration enforcement. Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for consideration of S. 2, the Secure America Act. One of the most significant success stories in the last year-and-a-half has been the dramatic improvement in security at our southern border.

The border crisis that President Trump inherited was not by accident. It was the direct result of deliberate--deliberate--policy decisions made by the Biden administration. For 4 years, Americans watched the cameras at the southern border as the Federal Government abandoned proven enforcement policies, weakened deterrence, and expanded catch and release practices and allowed millions and millions of illegal immigrants to enter the country. It was nothing short of an invasion.

Human traffickers profited, and fentanyl flowed into our communities across the country. Border Patrol agents were forced to process migrants instead of securing our border. The result was one of the worst border crises in our Nation's history.

Under President Trump, we have reversed the course. It started instantly. The border was closed. Since taking office, illegal crossings have fallen dramatically. Border encounters have plummeted, and law enforcement officers have once again been empowered to enforce the laws already on the books. No new laws have been passed. We are enforcing the laws on the books.

The results speak for themselves. In April, southern border apprehensions were 94 percent lower than the monthly average experienced under the Biden administration. At the same time, CBP has seized significantly more dangerous narcotics attempting to enter our country, helping keep deadly drugs out of our backyards, our American communities.

Those improvements did not happen by accident. They are the result of stronger enforcement, better policies, and President Trump's commitment to restoring the rule of law at our border.

However, success doesn't mean the mission is complete. The cartels, they haven't disappeared. Human traffickers have not disappeared. Criminal smuggling networks continue to operate every single day. That is why the funding provided in this legislation remains necessary.

Mr. Speaker, Customs and Border Protection serves as one of the most important first lines of defense for our Nation and for our homeland security. Whether securing our borders, facilitating lawful trade and travel, or stopping dangerous narcotics before they reach American communities, CBP plays a critical role in both our national security and our economy.

I represent a district in western New York that shares a border with Canada. In my district, the border plays a part of everyday life. It supports jobs, commerce, tourism, agriculture, and cross-border trade through western New York and the southern tier.

In districts like mine, border security and economic security go hand in hand. The same officers helping lawful travelers and commerce move efficiently through our ports of entry are also stopping dangerous narcotics, criminal activity, and other threats before they reach our communities.

If we expect CBP to continue delivering results that we have seen over the last year and a half, Congress must ensure the agency has the support necessary to sustain those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation also provides critical funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Too often, people hear the name ICE and think only about immigration enforcement, but ICE's mission extends far beyond that. Every day, ICE agents combat human trafficking. They investigate gang activity. They dismantle narcotics trafficking organizations. They protect children from exploitation. They also work alongside State and local law enforcement to keep dangerous individuals off of our streets.

Much of this work happens outside of the spotlight, but it directly impacts Americans every single day. My district recently saw an example, a clear example of why this work matters. Just last week, a violent stabbing occurred in Cattaraugus County involving an illegal immigrant. Thanks to cooperation between the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office and ICE personnel in Buffalo, law enforcement uncovered additional violations and ultimately took a dangerous individual into Federal custody.

Keeping communities safe requires cooperation between local, State, and Federal law enforcement. Criminal organizations do not care about county lines, State lines, or international borders. Law enforcement must be able to coordinate, share information, and work together to ensure that dangerous individuals do not fall through the cracks.

Mr. Speaker, whether it is protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud or protecting communities from dangerous criminals, traffickers, cartels, and drug smugglers, Americans expect government to carry out its most basic responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman fails to recognize the reason that we have to advance this funding. It is because their party time and again has obstructed and shut down our government instead of paying the employees of this government, all in the name of their politics. It is their last gasp in attempting to take us back to the era of a borderless country where we didn't defend our country from invasion. They did this.

When are we going to help improve Americans' lives? Well, I have to ask: How about the parents of Laken Riley who don't have a daughter because she was stolen. Her life was extinguished by an illegal immigrant that came here and killed her.

This is what this funding is here to do, to protect Americans. We need to advance multiple years of funding so that those employees actually get paid and they don't get held hostage in the political games of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Speaker, for years, Americans have watched as Washington tolerated waste, fraud, and abuse while millions of illegal immigrants crossed our border and dangerous criminals exploited weaknesses throughout our system.

The American people knew better. They lived with the consequences, and they voted for a President and a Congress committed to restoring accountability, enforcing the law, and putting taxpayers first. Fulfilling that promise means preventing fraud before taxpayer dollars disappear, securing our border, and ensuring government carries out the basic responsibilities the American people expect it to perform.

I strongly support the rule before us today.

The material previously referred to by Ms. Scanlon is as follows:

An Amendment to H. Res. 1345 Offered by Ms. Scanlon of Pennsylvania

Strike section 4 insert the following:

Sec. 4. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (S. 2) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 33. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget or their respective designees; (2) the amendment specified in section 5 of this resolution, if offered by Representative Raskin of Maryland or a designee, which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order, shall be considered as read, shall be separately debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question; and (3) one motion to commit.

Sec. 5. The amendment referred to in section 4 is as follows:

Insert, at the appropriate place, the following: SEC.__. PROHIBITION ON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FROM USING TAXPAYER FUNDS TO MAKE SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON JANUARY 6, 2021.

The Department of Justice may not use taxpayer funds to make settlement payments to individuals convicted of or who pled guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers at or around the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
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