Finding cost savings by rooting out so-called government waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and the federal food assistance program known as SNAP was a top priority for House Republicans, who set out earlier this year to pass another party-line reconciliation package on the heels of last year\u2019s \u201cbig, beautiful bill\u201d and June\u2019s immigration enforcement measure.<\/p>\n

Many Republicans believe the fraud issue will have salience with voters amid larger concerns about affordability, since it would ostensibly involve returning lost funds to government health programs.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers spent months discussing ways to tackle the matter, including hosting multiple hearings and meetings with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz to convince moderates and vulnerable GOP incumbents that their constituents would not misconstrue such efforts as gutting key social services.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should be one of our top priorities,\u201d said Rep. Riley Moore<\/a> (R-W.Va.) in a text message this week, \u201cand I am very much in favor of seeing this in some type of reconciliation package.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet with less than 100 days until the midterms, Republicans who were eager to go home to their districts for August recess and fold significant fraud wins into affordability messaging have little to show for it. And some now admit they are at a loss for whether there\u2019s any campaign promise on this topic they can make and truly keep.<\/p>\n

Rep. Tim Burchett<\/a> (R-Tenn.), who chairs a House Oversight subcommittee that at one point was designed to complement the now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, said in an interview Wednesday that his fellow Republicans don\u2019t \u201chave the guts\u201d to follow through on significant cost cutting measures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Congress is listening to the public, then it should\u201d advance fraud prevention legislation, Burchett continued, but added that it would only happen if Vance, or President Donald Trump, \u201cpicks up the phone and calls\u201d members directly.<\/p>\n

A roundtable at the White House last week alongside congressional Republicans may have provided a needed jolt: Vance, the administration\u2019s newly-minted \u201cfraud czar,\u201d specifically called on Congress to stiffen penalties for fraudsters, increase data sharing between federal and state governments and give more money for extra staff and technology to federal agencies such as CMS.<\/p>\n

Several House and Senate Republicans met with the vice president after the roundtable to discuss possible legislative solutions and appeared confident that they would work in tandem to move anti-fraud bills soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve got to bring accountability back to the system; otherwise, it’s going to continue to get worse, much worse, at a time we can least afford it,\u201d said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has pushed for more legislative action on fraud in the Senate, in a video of remarks following the event.<\/p>\n

“Allowing fraud to run rampant in the United States of America is a slap in the face to hardworking Americans,” said Sen. Ashley Moody<\/a> (R-Fla.) at that same confab.<\/p>\n

Burchett also praised Vance\u2019s engagement, while House GOP leaders are now actively looking into Vance\u2019s requests and want to help the administration with the fraud crackdown as much as they can, according to one person granted anonymity to share details of private discussions.<\/p>\n

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over several health programs, is pursuing several bills to address fraud, including legislation that would impose stricter requirements for states overseeing social programs. Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said in a statement that the panel was also looking at \u201cstate Medicaid programs and identifying ways states can do more to root out fraud that is actively harming patients.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to tackle fraud. It is rampant and I agree we need to work on it in this Congress,\u201d Energy and Commerce GOP Rep. Diana Harshbarger<\/a> of Tennessee said in an interview Wednesday.<\/p>\n

In addition to the roundtable, Vance made his pitch to Congress in a piece for The Washington Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n