Press ReleaseUrgent2026-05-26

Arrington Fights to Crack Down on TANF Fraud

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This press release from Representative Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX) was published on 2026-05-26 and titled "Arrington Fights to Crack Down on TANF Fraud".

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Arrington Fights to Crack Down on TANF Fraud

Washington, D.C. - House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) released the following statement after the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act , a comprehensive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reform package that includes his legislation, the Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act : "Washington’s abject failure to protect tax dollars has resulted in an unprecedented scale of fraud that threatens not only the sustainability of our safety net programs, but also the future economic viability of our nation. This problem is strikingly clear in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, where federal funds are administered by state governments with no federal oversight, leaving billions of dollars in taxpayer funding vulnerable to fraud and improper payments every year. "That’s why I introduced the Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act, which I was proud to see included in the legislative package to reform TANF that was advanced by the Ways and Means Committee. This critical legislation will provide much-needed oversight of the TANF program and ensure that the federal government is fulfi lling its responsibility to safeguard American tax dollars.” - Chairman Arrington. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal funding to states to assist low-income families, but current law does not require states to report improper payment data to the federal government. As a result, the federal government is unable to accurately measure the scale of fraud and improper payments within the program. Chairman Arrington’s Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act would strengthen accountability by requiring state governments to report improper payment data for TANF to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the first time. The legislation equips the federal government with the tools needed to identify waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used to support vulnerable families as intended. ###

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Arrington Fights to Crack Down on TANF Fraud Washington, D.C. - House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) released the following statement after the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act , a comprehensive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reform package that includes his legislation, the Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act : "Washington’s abject failure to protect tax dollars has resulted in an unprecedented scale of fraud that threatens not only the sustainability of our safety net programs, but also the future economic viability of our nation. This problem is strikingly clear in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, where federal funds are administered by state governments with no federal oversight, leaving billions of dollars in taxpayer funding vulnerable to fraud and improper payments every year. "That’s why I introduced the Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act, which I was proud to see included in the legislative package to reform TANF that was advanced by the Ways and Means Committee. This critical legislation will provide much-needed oversight of the TANF program and ensure that the federal government is fulfi lling its responsibility to safeguard American tax dollars.” - Chairman Arrington. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal funding to states to assist low-income families, but current law does not require states to report improper payment data to the federal government. As a result, the federal government is unable to accurately measure the scale of fraud and improper payments within the program. Chairman Arrington’s Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act would strengthen accountability by requiring state governments to report improper payment data for TANF to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the first time. The legislation equips the federal government with the tools needed to identify waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used to support vulnerable families as intended. ###