January 9, 2026
“The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, and the Senate is exercising its role to ensure proper stewardship of federal taxpayer dollars for child care programs, and we take this responsibility very seriously.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and the entire Senate Republican Conference in a letter to Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) requesting information regarding the ongoing federal investigations into the alleged fraud and abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.
“The state’s apparent negligent management of federal funds raises significant concerns about the adequacy of the state’s oversight, verification and compliance systems for safeguarding taxpayer dollars intended to support vulnerable children and working families. Unfortunately, these latest reports appear to reflect only the tip of the iceberg,” the senators wrote.
“Federal prosecutors have been conducting a broader investigation of large-scale fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs. Some authorities estimate that billions in federal funds across various programs, including child care, nutrition, Medicaid and housing assistance, may have been misappropriated since 2018. One example includes the ‘Feeding Our Future’ scheme, where more than 50 individuals were convicted for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds intended for school meals,” the senators continued.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has acted promptly to freeze child care payments to Minnesota pending verification and audits of how funds were used. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, and the Senate is exercising its role to ensure proper stewardship of federal taxpayer dollars for child care programs, and we take this responsibility very seriously,” the senators concluded.
The full letter is available here.