By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. The American taxpayers support an extensive system of benefits for citizens in need, covering housing, food, medical care, and cash assistance. These federally funded programs are managed by States, some of which have exploited loopholes to bypass individual eligibility checks, permit self-certification, and broaden eligibility beyond Congressional intent. Alarmingly, despite receiving Federal funds, some States have neglected basic fraud prevention measures, like sharing enrollee data with the Federal Government for eligibility verification. Consequently, illegal aliens, criminals, foreign gangs, bureaucrats, State and local officials, non-governmental organizations, and ineligible providers misuse these programs, which are meant to safeguard lawful American beneficiaries. This exploitation and insufficient preventive measures have led to extensive fraud, waste, and abuse, burdening the taxpayers and significantly increasing the national debt.
Political actors with self-serving motives use public benefits programs to consolidate control over their communities and political systems. Due to lenient immigration policies and immigration fraud, some officials allow entry and provide sanctuary to migrant populations likely to depend on means-tested public assistance programs. This support boosts the political influence of officials offering these benefits. Consequently, these officials are motivated to maximize welfare distribution, enhancing their power. Many fail to monitor these programs effectively, sometimes willfully ignoring fraud, waste, and abuse to ensure continued welfare support for migrants. Due to inadequate election integrity measures, some ineligible migrants vote, facilitated by officials who permit widespread ballot harvesting, compromising election integrity and helping these officials retain power.
The widespread fraud and waste in Minnesota is a notable example. Federal prosecutors estimate that Medicaid fraud in the State could reach billions. Nearly 9 percent of the approximately $866 million spent on food stamps annually in Minnesota is estimated to be spent in error. The non-profit Feeding our Future orchestrated a scam, stealing nearly $250 million intended to feed needy children in Minnesota by establishing fake meal sites and submitting false claims for meals never served. One defendant in this scam also faced charges for submitting false claims to an autism services program plagued by fraud. Hundreds of millions in Federal childcare funds were stolen by a ring of Somali immigrants and others, who used the money for cars, property, luxury travel, and overseas transfers. The Federal Government is investigating allegations that some fraudulently obtained taxpayer dollars in Minnesota were funneled to a notorious African terror group. State officials ignored or failed to detect these issues. Similar problems are believed to exist in other States, including California, Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado. Notably, Minnesota and 20 other States filed a lawsuit to prevent the Federal Government from conducting even a basic eligibility review for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Such pervasive, undetected fraud can only thrive in a system that disregards it.
Fraud and mismanagement in these programs rob American taxpayers of their hard-earned dollars and deny benefits to those in need. Failure to ensure adequate Federal oversight has allowed irresponsible State politicians to inflate Federal spending in their States, contributing to rising costs for health care, housing, utilities, and groceries.
Compounding the issue, the previous administration implemented policies that weakened the Federal Government’s oversight of State administration and distribution of Federal funds, including reducing verification measures, expanding access without adequate controls, tolerating high error rates, creating conditions for institutionalized fraud, and allowing individuals with substantial means to improperly access benefits.
My Administration will employ all available resources and authorities to combat fraud, close loopholes, enforce eligibility rules, and safeguard benefits for eligible Americans, while ensuring that States administering Federal benefits programs do the same.
Sec. 2. Establishment of the Task Force. (a) A Task Force to Eliminate Fraud (Task Force) is hereby established within the Executive Office of the President.
(b) The Vice President of the United States will serve as the Chairman of the Task Force. The Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission will act as Vice Chairman, presiding over the Task Force at the Chairman’s direction or in his absence, and exercising all powers of the Chairman as defined. The Chairman will appoint an Executive Director to manage and execute the Task Force’s daily operations, reporting to the Vice Chairman. The Assistant to the President for Homeland Security will serve as the Senior Advisor to the Task Force.
(c) In addition to the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Senior Advisor, the Task Force will include representatives from the following executive departments and agencies (agencies), or components:
(i) the Department of the Treasury;
(ii) the Department of Justice;
(iii) the Department of Agriculture;
(iv) the Department of Labor;
(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(vi) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(vii) the Department of Education;
(viii) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(ix) the Department of Homeland Security;
(x) the Small Business Administration;
(xi) the Office of Management and Budget; and
(xii) other agencies, inspectors general, or components within the Executive Office of the President, as determined by the Chairman.
(d) The Chairman or Vice Chairman will convene regular meetings of the Task Force, set its agenda, and direct its activities, consistent with this order. The Executive Director will assist in these duties. The Chairman may designate any Task Force member to preside over meetings in the Vice Chairman’s absence.
(e) The Task Force will coordinate with the Homeland Security Council on matters related to law enforcement, public safety, national security, transnational crime, and organized criminal activity.
Sec. 3. Operation and Priorities of the Task Force. (a) On behalf of the President, the Task Force will coordinate and advance a comprehensive national strategy to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs, including those administered jointly with State, local, tribal, and territorial partners. The Task Force will advise the President and coordinate the efforts of appropriate member agencies to:
(i) develop measures to enhance eligibility verification processes in Federal benefits programs and strengthen enforcement of eligibility requirements, including program-specific requirements and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996;
(ii) establish appropriate controls before funds are obligated or disbursed to prevent improper payments in Federal benefits programs, coordinating agency action to determine when ongoing or potential fraud necessitates pausing certain types of funding until controls are established;
(iii) assess indicators of fraud and high-risk vulnerabilities, including major fraud trends and cross-program schemes, considering the use of third-party contractors by member agencies to improve fraud detection;
(iv) promote information and data sharing and coordination between State, local, tribal, and territorial governments and the Federal Government, as well as benefit-providing and law enforcement agencies;
(v) dismantle fraud networks and facilitators, including providers, contractors, or other entities, and address repeat cross-program offenders through interagency information sharing and coordination;
(vi) investigate and disrupt fraud mechanisms, including those involving facilitation by Federal, State, local, tribal, or territorial officials;
(vii) prevent remittance transfers involving the proceeds of Federal benefits fraud, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law;
(viii) conduct audits and ensure compliance monitoring, including for identifying fraud in Federal benefits programs; and
(ix) analyze identifying information for all providers or retailers associated with redemption of benefits to detect fraud and develop a process for member agencies to recommend policies for wide-scale revalidations or reauthorization to deter fraudulent providers, as appropriate and to the extent consistent with applicable law.
(b) Each agency administering Federal benefit programs will, consistent with applicable law, provide the Task Force with information on such programs deemed relevant for advising the President and improving fraud-detection capabilities.
(c) The Task Force will be under the President’s direct supervision and control. The Task Force, through the Chairman, will provide frequent updates to the President on its work and ensure its actions align with the President’s directions.
Sec. 4. Improved Controls and Fraud-Prevention Measures. (a) Each agency on the Task Force administering Federal benefit programs will identify its benefit transactions and processes most vulnerable to fraud schemes, which may include new enrollments, redeterminations, provider enrollments, eligibility self-attestation procedures, changes to payment destinations or payees, or transactions involving third-party intermediaries. Within 30 days of this order, each agency will submit descriptions of such transactions and processes and suggested fraud prevention measures to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Task Force.
(b) Within 60 days of this order, the Task Force will coordinate member agency efforts to adopt minimum anti-fraud requirements for transactions and processes identified under subsection (a) to prevent fraud and loopholes allowing systemic abuse and exploitation. If these transactions and processes involve Federal funding administered by a State, local, territorial, or tribal jurisdiction, the Task Force and appropriate member agencies will address how such jurisdictions can demonstrate implementation of the anti-fraud requirements. The Task Force and its member agencies will also examine and recommend ways Federal funds may be withheld from jurisdictions lacking adequate anti-fraud requirements. Specifically, such anti-fraud requirements may include:
(i) screening, proof of identity, and eligibility verification;
(ii) pre-payment integrity and risk controls, including affirmative documentation requirements concerning services provided;
(iii) information- and data-sharing processes, updated criteria, minimum integrity checks, cross-program risk indicators, and coordinated recovery and enforcement pathways to prevent immigration sponsor and beneficiary and household-related fraud, abuse, or improper usage;
(iv) appropriate use of providers, vendors, contractors, nonprofit organizations, intermediaries, and service organizations; and
(v) audit and remedial measures, including suspension, termination, repayment, exclusion, and debarment actions, as appropriate.
(c) Within 90 days of this order, each Task Force member will submit to the Chairman and Vice Chairman a measurable implementation plan concerning the measures identified or developed under this order.
Sec. 5. Administration. The heads of other agencies will, upon the request of the Chairman or Vice Chairman, provide administrative and technical support or information required by the Task Force to carry out its functions.
Sec. 6. Maximizing Taxpayer Pursuit of Fraud Involving Taxpayer Dollars. The Attorney General shall:
(a) take appropriate action to promote the meritorious pursuit by private persons of civil actions under 31 U.S.C. 3730 concerning fraud within Federal benefit programs; and
(b) ensure prompt review of such actions, including within the 60-day period contemplated by 31 U.S.C. 3730(a)(4) to the maximum extent practicable.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Treasury.
DONALD J. TRUMP
