Senate Republicans Blast Tim Walz for Rampant Child Care Fraud, Demand Accountability for American Taxpayers

Senate Republicans Blast Tim Walz for Rampant Child Care Fraud, Demand Accountability for American Taxpayers

Washington, D.C.-The entire Senate Republican Conference, led by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), is demanding accountability from outgoing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz amid widespread reports of fraud and abuse of federal child care funding in Minnesota.

"Taxpayers and children alike deserve to have this funding protected from theft," said Chairman Crapo. "It is allegations like these that prompted Senate Republicans to strengthen program integrity provisions through the Working Families Tax Cuts to cut down on waste, fraud and abuse in our spending programs. Minnesota must do more to ensure these laws are enforced."

"Every American should be angry. These federal funds are supposed to be used for improving children's lives. Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken away from a family who needs it," said Dr. Cassidy. "President Trump and Senate Republicans will end this fraud and abuse in our government."

"The allegations of fraud coming out of Minnesota are egregious," said Leader Thune. "It's exactly the kind of fraud that Senate Republicans went after with the Working Families Tax Cuts, which included commonsense reforms to make sure that benefits are going to people for whom they are actually intended. I'm grateful to Chairman Cassidy for leading this effort to help get to the bottom of this and ensure the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars."

"Emboldened criminals have stolen billions of dollars from federal programs - billions meant to help vulnerable Americans. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of the staggering amount of fraud taking place in Minnesota. Republicans will not allow Governor Walz and Democrats to sweep this massive theft of taxpayer dollars under the rug," said Senator Barrasso.

This effort is in conjunction with the Trump Administration, which has paused child care funding to Minnesota and other states pending audits of how funds were used. There is also a current federal investigation into large-scale fraud in Minnesota's social services programs.

They are joined by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jim Banks (R-Indiana), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Ashley Moody (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Todd Young (R-Indiana), John Curtis (R-Utah), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Read the full letter HERE.