The House passed the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026, H.R. 9576, establishing statutory authority for a Department of Justice division dedicated to combating fraud involving taxpayer dollars and taxpayer-funded programs.
The legislation creates the National Fraud Enforcement Division within the Department of Justice, granting it the power to investigate and prosecute such fraud. According to the House communication, the division will focus exclusively on fraud enforcement and be led by a dedicated Assistant Attorney General. The measure passed with a vote of 352-72, with nine members not voting. The Department of Justice had already formed the division in April, and H.R. 9576 was introduced on July 2.
More than 140 House Democrats crossed the aisle to support a Republican-backed bill establishing a permanent federal division dedicated to investigating and prosecuting fraud. The bipartisan vote sends HR 9576, the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026, to the Senate for consideration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was among the Democrats who voted in favor of the measure, a notable show of support for an initiative that originated with the Trump administration. President Trump proposed the fraud division in January and has indicated he will sign the bill if the Senate approves it.
However, there’s other Democrats who might be under further investigation. Politicians such as Tim Walz and others in Minnesota come to mind.
What HR 9576 Would Do
The legislation would formally codify a federal division tasked with investigating, prosecuting, and remedying fraud across government programs. Supporters say the rise of online fraud schemes and the surge of federal spending in recent years have created new opportunities for bad actors to exploit public funds. According to the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act, Colin McDonald, the current Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division at the Department of Justice, would lead the new body.
The division has already been active. It was used earlier this year when Vice President JD Vance referred Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison to the fraud division for a potential criminal investigation.
