Hakeem Jeffries, House Democrats vote to make Trump's fraud division permanent

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.