RALEIGH — It has long been a dodge to respond to chronic fiscal gaps with a promise to tackle “waste, fraud, and abuse.” A recent example came from the Artful Dodger himself, Donald Trump, who said on April 3 that a new anti-fraud initiative led by Vice President J.D. Vance had the potential to “balance our American budget.”
No, it doesn’t. Washington’s deficits — running nearly $2 trillion a year, about a quarter of federal spending — are too large to close by eliminating fraudulent claims, improper payments to households or businesses, and malfeasance by government contractors. Moreover, it is simply impossible to eliminate fraud entirely. It exists at every level of government, and indeed across both the public and private sectors.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration’s campaign against fraud is helpful and praiseworthy, as are comparable efforts here…
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