Vance's Fraud Pledge Is the Right War. Now Publish the Scoreboard and Get Every State In
On Oct. 16 the White House showcased a nationwide coalition behind Vice President Vance's anti-fraud pledge, with Treasury citing $175 million returned in payments that would have gone to deceased individuals and Do Not Pay coverage at 99% of federal programs. In our view, the pledge is overdue — and empty without public metrics.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 18, 2026 | 7-min read Fraud is not a rounding error. It is theft from taxpayers and from the elderly, the disabled and the working poor who play by the rules. On Oct. 16, the White House posted a long roster of Cabinet officials, governors, attorneys general and members of Congress lining up behind Vice President JD Vance's Pledge to Protect Americans from Fraud [1]. In our view, that coalition is the right war — if Washington turns applause into audited recoveries and a public scoreboard every American can read. Key Takeaways As head of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, Vice President Vance called officials at every level to pledge to protect vulnerable Americans, keep benefits for Americans only, stop fraud before money goes out, and hold fraudsters accountable [1]. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that over the past year Treasury returned $175 million that would have gone to deceased individuals and expanded Do Not Pay access to 99% of federal programs [1]. Bessent also said Treasury stopped almost $190 million and returned