Congressman Pat Harrigan Votes to Stop Fraudulent Federal Payments

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) voted in favor of H.R. 8464, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act, legislation to authorize federal agencies to temporarily pause, condition, or segment payments that present an elevated risk of fraud before they go out the door.

"The federal government sends out trillions of dollars in payments every year, and right now there is no clear legal authority to pause a payment that looks fraudulent before it is sent," said Congressman Harrigan. "This bill fixes that by giving agencies the tools to flag suspicious payments, hold them for review, and make sure taxpayer dollars are not walking out the door before anyone notices. That is basic accountability, and it should not have taken this long to put it in the law."

The Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act requires agencies to take corrective action when a payment presents an elevated risk of fraud, directs Treasury to notify agencies when a flagged payment should be returned, ensures payees are notified within two days if their payment is paused and given an opportunity to contest the decision, and requires annual reporting to Congress on the results of paused payments and total savings to the federal government.

Congressman Harrigan has been a consistent advocate for fiscal accountability and will continue fighting to ensure federal dollars are spent responsibly and only reach those who are legally entitled to receive them.