Twenty-two Republican governors, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have signed a pledge supporting Vice President JD Vance’s efforts to combat fraud in taxpayer-funded benefit programs.
The document, titled “The Vice President’s Pledge to Protect Americans from Fraud,” outlines six commitments aimed at preventing fraudulent payments, protecting vulnerable Americans, and holding those who abuse government assistance programs accountable.
Among the commitments is a pledge to ensure taxpayer-funded programs serve law-abiding Americans rather than illegal aliens or fraudsters.
The governors also pledged to prevent fraudulent benefits from being used to purchase luxury cars or mansions and to strengthen coordination between government agencies to stop improper payments before they are distributed.
The document calls for convicted fraudsters to be imprisoned and permanently barred from receiving taxpayer funds. It also calls for illegal aliens convicted of fraud to be prosecuted, imprisoned, and deported.
“Although previous administrations turned a blind eye to fraud, President Trump and Vice President Vance are aggressively fighting fraudsters nationwide,” the pledge states.
Vance has also raised concerns about fraud during recent campaign appearances in Texas.
At a rally in Tyler earlier this week, he referenced criminals defrauding Texas Medicaid while praising Attorney General Ken Paxton’s record. During a September rally in Harlingen, Vance also criticized politicians who he said prioritize fraudsters over ordinary Americans.
The pledge comes as Abbott has already directed state agencies to increase scrutiny of fraud in Texas.
In January, Abbott ordered a review of the state’s subsidized child care program following reports of widespread fraud in Minnesota.
“Fraud has no place in Texas,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris told Texas Scorecard. “Earlier this year, Governor Abbott directed the TWC and HHSC to conduct a thorough review of the Child Care Services program to ensure robust protections against any potential misuse of taxpayer dollars.”
Mahaleris said the review found that Texas already had strong safeguards in place.
“Their review confirmed that Texas maintains strong anti-fraud measures that have kept improper payments extraordinarily low compared to other states,” he said. “Taxpayer-funded programs must serve eligible Texans, not fraudsters or illegal aliens. Those who steal from these programs face investigation and prosecution.”
In August, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Insurance to establish an Insurance Fraud Task Force as part of a broader effort to reduce property insurance costs.
The task force is intended to bring together law enforcement agencies, anti-fraud organizations, consumers, and other stakeholders to combat insurance fraud that contributes to higher premiums.
At the federal level, President Donald Trump established a Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March, chaired by Vance, to coordinate efforts to prevent fraud across federal benefit programs, including those administered by state governments.
