Americans know fraud is bleeding their budgets dry, and a new national poll proves they’re paying close attention.

A recent survey of registered voters found 87% are concerned about fraud and misuse of taxpayer money in government programs, with 83% saying it drives up their taxes and costs a great deal or a fair amount. Far from a fringe view, it cuts across parties, ages and regions, with even stronger support among the 71% extremely likely to vote this November.

As I testified on April 15 before the House Oversight Committee, government fraud isn’t some abstract line item. It causes hardworking families to pay higher taxes and face higher costs while scarce resources are diverted from those who truly need assistance. I described to the committee how state financial officers are indispensable for accomplishing the mission given to President Donald Trump’s anti-fraud task force in Washington, from where federal dollars are sent but then often fall into the wrong hands.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put it bluntly: up to 10% of the federal budget, or hundreds of billions annually, gets stolen through waste and fraud. The Government Accountability Office pegs annual losses between $233 billion and $521 billion.

Every dollar lost that way shows up as higher grocery bills, steeper rents or tighter family budgets. When 53% of voters blame U.S.........

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