WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to make the National Fraud Enforcement Division, created during President Donald Trump's administration, a permanent fixture within the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to the reported results, the initiative passed by
a vote of 352 to 72 and will now be sent to the Senate for further legislative
consideration.
The measure, known as H.R. 9576, the National Fraud
Enforcement Division Act of 2026, formally establishes a division within the
Department of Justice dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and combating
fraud that affects the federal government, publicly funded programs, and U.S.
citizens.
The division was announced by Trump in January 2026 and
subsequently began operating under the DOJ. Its mission includes coordinating
fraud investigations across agencies, overseeing cases of national scope, and
developing priorities to combat schemes involving taxpayer resources.
The bill envisions the division being headed by an Assistant
Attorney General, appointed by the president and subject to Senate
confirmation. Among its responsibilities would be directing investigations and
prosecutions, coordinating with federal prosecutors, and working with other
agencies to detect and dismantle fraud operations.
The initiative comes at a time when the federal government
has increased its efforts to combat fraud related to public programs. The
Department of Justice maintains that its new division seeks to identify fraud
patterns through data analysis and coordination among federal agencies and
state and local authorities.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where it must advance
through the legislative process before it can become law.
The vote represents a step toward establishing in law a
structure that is currently part of the Department of Justice's strategy
against federal fraud.