WASHINGTON— Today, House Republicans passed H.R. 9576, the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026, legislation led by Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), to permanently establish a National Fraud Enforcement Division within the Department of Justice focused on combating fraud against taxpayers and the federal government.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Rep. Finstad released the following statements after House passage:

“America shouldn’t need to have a dedicated fraud division, but thanks to poor leaders like Walz and Newsom, it’s the only way to keep taxpayer dollars safe,” Chairwoman McClain said. “Fraudsters have gotten rich exploiting government programs and weak enforcement for far too long. If you steal from the American people, the government should have the tools and the determination to come after you.”

“In Minnesota, we’ve seen the systematic failure of Governor Walz and his administration refusing to investigate fraudsters and safeguard Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars,” Rep. Finstad said. “Meanwhile, the Trump Administration and the Department of Justice have taken decisive action, including establishing the National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. I’m proud to see my National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026 pass in the House today.”

The legislation codifies the National Fraud Enforcement Division at DOJ and places it under an Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement. The measure also applies federal political-activity restrictions to the new division.