Tennessee – U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn joined a group of Republican senators in launching a new Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force aimed at investigating fraud, waste, and abuse across federal programs while strengthening oversight of taxpayer dollars.

The announcement came as Blackburn continued her push for tougher consequences for individuals accused of defrauding the federal government, including support for her Fraud Accountability Act, which she said would increase accountability for fraudsters.

“Billions of tax dollars are lost to fraud every year,” Blackburn said in a recent statement. “By passing my Fraud Accountability Act, we can send every foreigner who defrauds the U.S. government right back to where they came from and strip the citizenship of those who come to America to steal from us.”

The Tennessee senator said the legislation is intended to address what she described as widespread fraud against American taxpayers and create stronger penalties for individuals who exploit government programs.

Blackburn’s comments followed the July 2 announcement of the Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force, which she launched alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and several other Republican senators. The group said it will examine fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs, identify weaknesses in existing systems, and work to improve government accountability.

In the announcement, Blackburn said the federal government must do more to protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraudulent activity. She argued that criminals who steal government funds should face consequences and said stronger oversight is needed to protect the integrity of federal programs.

The task force includes Blackburn, Schmitt, and Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Ashley Moody, Roger Marshall, Tim Sheehy, Pete Ricketts, and Ron Johnson. The senators said their effort will focus on uncovering fraud schemes and finding ways to prevent taxpayer dollars from being improperly used.

The announcement comes amid increased federal attention on fraud prevention. The task force follows broader efforts by the Trump administration to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse across government programs.

Supporters of Blackburn’s approach say stronger enforcement is needed to protect taxpayer funds and ensure individuals who commit fraud face serious consequences. Blackburn has argued that fraud committed against government programs harms Americans who rely on those resources and taxpayers who fund them.

The Fraud Accountability Act would need approval from Congress before becoming law. Blackburn has previously pushed legislation that would create additional immigration consequences for noncitizens convicted of fraud-related offenses.

As the Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force begins its work, Blackburn and other members say their focus will remain on identifying vulnerabilities in federal programs and holding those responsible for fraud accountable.