Newsletter: Fixing Fraud and Waste in Homelessness Services

Sep 22, 2026

Fixing Fraud and Waste in Homelessness Services

Many politicians in Washington measure success by how many American taxpayer dollars they can shovel towards issues across the country. This approach might look impressive on paper, but an honest review of the evidence demonstrates that it is wasteful and ineffective. Dollars spent do not equal progress made on a given issue. Los Angeles’ homelessness epidemic is one of the worst examples of this bureaucratic dysfunction.

The DOGE Subcommittee held a hearing titled “Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services” to investigate the current state of homelessness services that receive federal dollars, exposing the shocking testimony of one witness who brought a drug injection kit to the hearing itself. These kits are handed out by the LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) for free to people living on the streets, allegedly to prevent disease. Rather than give those living in squalor a path to dignity and responsibility, LA and other Democrat-run cities subsidize lawless behavior.

The Subcommittee was looking forward to hearing from LA Mayor Karen Bass concerning this issue, but was informed by her lawyer that “unfortunately the mayor is not available on that date.” What is telling is that instead of accepting our invitation to testify at our Oversight hearing, she announced her resignation from the LAHSA’s board of commissioners. This investigation will continue. Her resignation and refusal to appear do not remove our responsibility to investigate, nor protect Mayor Bass from being compelled to appear in the future.

See my full remarks here.

No FLOCK Act

I recently introduced the No FLOCK Act, a bipartisan bill that cracks down on abuses of automated data collection of innocent motorists, such as Flock cameras. American citizens should never be forced to fund the destruction of their own civil liberties. Flock cameras enable warrantless surveillance and turn our roads into a highway to tyranny.

The No FLOCK Act puts the surveillance state on the defensive. This is a vital first step towards reining in unchecked surveillance. The bill requires states to enact laws limiting the use of motorist data to specific public safety and toll-enforcement purposes. States that do not comply will be penalized by having their highway funding docked.

Public safety and the Fourth Amendment are not incompatible. I look forward to leading the charge against these unlawful searches of your data, and I will continue to fight back against warrantless surveillance that threatens the privacy and liberty of the American people.

Read the bill text here.

Fighting for Limited Government and Small Businesses

“The Institute for Legislative Analysis is honored to present Congressman Michael Cloud with the Champion of Limited Government Award, our highest award and a distinction earned by less than 1 percent of the U.S. Congress. Congressman Cloud understands that taxpayers should not be forced to fund agencies and programs year after year simply because Washington has always done it that way. His record reflects a serious commitment to fiscal discipline, constitutional government, and restoring accountability to a federal bureaucracy that has grown far beyond its proper limits.”

— Ryan McGowan, CEO, Institute for Legislative Analysis

Thank you to the Institute for Legislative Analysis for stopping by. Their Limited Government Index tracks how Congress votes on spending and bureaucracy, giving taxpayers the kind of accountability they deserve more of. I would also like to thank the National Retail Federation for presenting me with the Hero of Main Street Award. Heroes of Main Street awards recognize members of Congress for consistent support of main street businesses.

The momentum of the federal bureaucracy is immense and powerful, but it can be reformed. I will continue to work to keep your money in your pocket and out of the hands of Washington bureaucrats.

Delivering for TX-27

Applications for the Service Academy are open. One of the privileges of serving in the United States Congress is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 27th District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies.

Learn more and apply here.

Behind every vote and press release, our district office is working every day to cut through federal red tape for the people of TX-27. Here are a few recent wins:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

A constituent needed assistance with a possible identity theft issue which was holding up his 2018 and 2024 tax returns. After reaching out to the IRS the constituent was able to have his account corrected and receive his refund totaling $19,420.

Veterans Affairs (VA)
A constituent contacted our office for assistance with his VA disability claim after experiencing difficulties with his appeal and was seeking resolution to his case. Our office contacted the VA on his behalf and successfully advocated for the VA to complete the processing of his appeal. As a result, the constituent was awarded VA disability compensation totaling approximately $48,941 annually.

Social Security Administration (SSA)
A constituent needed assistance with SSA taking benefits for differed compensation. After reaching out to SSA the matter was resolved and $29,422.80 was sent to an existing overpayment on his record.

If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency, our office is here to help. You can submit a contact form with your request or issue here.