Updated · House Committee on Oversight and Reform | · Jun 10
Comer Backs H.R. 8464 to Halt Fraud-Flagged Payments as U.S. Losses Reach $521 Billion
Updated
Updated · House Committee on Oversight and Reform | · Jun 10
Comer Backs H.R. 8464 to Halt Fraud-Flagged Payments as U.S. Losses Reach $521 Billion
2 articles · Updated · House Committee on Oversight and Reform | · Jun 10
Summary
$233 billion to $521 billion in annual federal fraud losses framed James Comer's House-floor push for H.R. 8464, which would let Treasury halt and return payments flagged as high risk.
The bill would require agencies to run fraud-prevention checks before requesting payments, replacing a system in which Treasury must process requests even when Do Not Pay tools raise red flags.
Comer tied the measure to an Oversight Committee probe that alleged $9 billion was stolen from Minnesota social-services programs and said Vice President JD Vance had referred those findings to the Justice Department.
Treasury would also have to report returned payments, corrective actions and cost savings to Congress, giving lawmakers a government-wide view of whether the new safeguards reduce fraud.
As the Treasury gains power to halt payments, what is the plan to prevent massive, costly system errors?
With financial crime evolving so rapidly, can new federal laws truly stay ahead of sophisticated digital fraudsters?
Stopping $186 Billion in Federal Fraud: How H.R. 8464 Aims to Prevent Improper Payments and Restore Public Trust
Overview
H.R. 8464, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act, is designed to set strong requirements to prevent fraudulent or improper payments from federal programs. This comes as improper federal payments reached $186 billion in 2025, a $24 billion increase from the previous year, and have cost taxpayers an estimated $2.8 trillion over two decades. The bill aims to boost confidence that federal funds reach the right people in the correct amounts and to help spot cases where someone’s identity is stolen for fraud. By moving away from the often ineffective 'pay and chase' approach, H.R. 8464 seeks to address these costly errors more effectively.