Fraudsters from Houston’s clinics to Dallas boardrooms just taught us a $14 billion lesson — when government money flows faster than oversight, the crooks shift into high gear. And once again, hardworking Texans are the ones stuck footing the bill.
Forty-eight Texans were indicted in a sweeping federal healthcare fraud scheme targeting Medicare and Medicaid. This was part of a nationwide $14.6 billion takedown that included bogus COVID tests, fake genetic screenings, and opioid scams. A Dallas-area law firm and two residents were charged in a massive EB-2 and H-1B visa racket, helping non-citizens unlawfully stay in the country through fake job offers and phony paperwork. And a Texas man pleaded guilty to SNAP (food-stamp) fraud after stealing benefits meant for low-income families.
From health care to food aid to immigration, Texas has seen case after case of people twisting government programs into personal cash machines. In this state, culture, credentials, and identity are increasingly being weaponized for fraud and special access.
And now Washington wants to do it again — on an even larger scale.
Some in Congress are pushing to funnel over $300 million in taxpayer money to a group based out of North Carolina, called the Lumbees. Their bill, the so-called Lumbee Fairness Act, would grant the group federal Native American recognition and all the benefits that come with it — healthcare subsidies, education funding, housing support, and preferential contracting.
There’s just one problem — the Lumbees refuse to go through the standard process to obtain federal recognition through the government’s Office of Federal Acknowledgment, which is the right and just thing to do given how over 40 tribes question their claims.
Instead of requiring the Lumbees to follow the rules, some in Washington want Congress to wave it all through. That would be a handout, not justice. And just like the SNAP thief in Texas and the visa fraudsters gaming the immigration system, it’s a case of benefits going to those who haven’t earned them.
Thankfully, Reps. Jodey Arrington, who chairs the House Budget Committee, Chip Roy, and the rest of the Texas congressional delegation is in a position to put their feet down and make it clear that recognition should come only after a full and transparent review, not through backdoor political deals.
That said, the Texas statehouse needs to get its own house in order as well — and that starts by leading by example.
That means requiring real-time audits and public dashboards for all state-administered federal benefits so fraudsters don’t slip through the cracks.
It means revoking business licenses for companies that profit off fraud. If a firm scams the government, it shouldn’t be allowed to keep operating in Texas.
It means modernizing verification for benefit programs with biometric ID so the people using public dollars are the ones actually entitled to them.
And it means putting real rewards on the table for whistleblowers who help root out corruption, whether it’s on the border or in the boardroom.
Texans don’t expect special treatment. But we do expect fairness, accountability, and respect.
Our elected representatives owe us at least that much. It’s time they do the hard work to give it to us.
James Earl White is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives.