Election 2024: US lawmakers backing initiatives to combat freight fraud

In recent years, increasing threats in the freight and retail industries have prompted lawmakers to propose legislation against freight fraud and organized retail crime.

With increasing incidents of organized theft along supply chain routes and sophisticated forms of retail crime, these legislative efforts seek to safeguard the movement of goods and support law enforcement in tackling these crimes.

Two major bills, the Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act and the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 (CORCA), demonstrate the federal push to protect domestic supply chains from both theft and fraud.

Here’s a look at the specifics of the bills, their major sponsors and co-sponsors, and which lawmakers will still be in office to support the initiatives in the upcoming legislative cycle after the 2024 elections.

Law on the Protection of Our Supply Chains

Introduced by Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., the Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act addresses the increase in organized theft targeting critical freight networks in the US

This bill establishes a Supply Chain Fraud and Theft Task Force under the joint authority of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. With proposed funding of $100 million, the task force is committed to coordinating law enforcement efforts at both the federal and local levels to combat organized theft and fraud along freight networks, including rail, automotive and intermodal systems. The focus of this task force is emphasized by a recent CargoNet study showing that freight thefts in the US and Canada increased by 14% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023.

The bill has several bipartisan co-sponsors, including:

Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider, D-Ill. – re-elected.
Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill. – re-elected.
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas – re-elected.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-California. – too close to call, probably to win.
Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif. – re-elected.
Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla. – re-elected.
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn. – re-elected.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-California. – re-elected.
Rep. Robert Wittman, R-Va. – re-elected.
Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss. – re-elected.
Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. – re-elected.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. – too close to call, probably to win.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. – re-elected.
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. – re-elected.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz. – too close to call, 1.7% lower than the Democratic opponent Kirsten Engel.

Notably, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., chose to run for governor of Virginia, leaving her seat filled by Democrat Eugene Vindman. Whether Vindman will support this legislation remains to be seen.

Organized Retail Crime Combating Act 2023

CORCA is another bipartisan bill designed to tackle the escalating problem of organized retail crime. CORCA, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of senators, aims to equip federal law enforcement with tools to work with local authorities to dismantle complex retail crime rings. These criminal organizations often engage in elaborate schemes involving cargo theft and e-commerce fraud.

The main co-sponsors of CORCA were not eligible for re-election this year. They include:

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C
Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C
Senator Ted Budd, R-N.C.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho

Co-sponsorship Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-M., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won reelection. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is in a neck-and-neck race with Republican Sam Brown, with polls leaning toward Brown, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. lost to Republican Tim Sheehy.

The Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act and CORCA are strong indicators of a bipartisan commitment to tackling crime affecting America’s supply chains. With key sponsors and co-sponsors remaining in office, they are positioned to play a critical role in U.S. supply chain security initiatives.

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