Democrats reluctantly hand Trump major victory on key program targeting Tim Walz

President Donald Trump's crackdown on government fraud is getting unexpected backup from a majority of House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

More than 140 House Democrats voted with all Republicans to make the National Fraud Enforcement Division permanent on Wednesday.

The bill passed in an overwhelming 352 to 72 vote, with all of its opponents being Democrats as well.

Trump's White House first announced the creation of a new division within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat fraud in January 2026, primarily targeting "fraud affecting the federal government, federally funded programs, and private citizens," according to a release by the administration.

It was notably used as a cudgel against Trump's political enemies earlier this year, when Vice President JD Vance referred Minnesota Gov.

Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison to the fraud division for a potential criminal investigation.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES 'WATERSHED' FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE Republicans accused Walz and Ellison of helping facilitate what's become a ballooning fraud scandal affecting Minnesota's social welfare programs.

Both have acknowledged that taxpayer dollars were taken advantage of but accused GOP actors of casting the situation as worse than it actually is as a political attack.

VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE'S ALLEGED FRAUD The Trump administration's announcement of the fraud division also touted its actions in Minnesota, which it said was experiencing a "fraud epidemic." Rep.

Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a top House progressive, said he would give "tepid support" to the legislation, while pointing out a fraud division has already existed within the DOJ for decades.

REPUBLICANS DECLARE WAR ON 'ORGANIZED THEFT' WITH GOVERNMENT FRAUD CRACKDOWN "This is hardly some kind of great breakthrough in law enforcement or criminal justice, but it is perhaps the least offensive piece of legislative flotsam and jetsam that has washed ashore in the last 48 hours of Republican chaos and retreat here in the House of Representatives," Raskin said on the House floor.

Rep.

Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., responded, "This conversation is about a piece of legislation.

It's about a piece of legislation that we want to be enacted into law.