USDA Funding Cuts Linked to SNAP Data Sharing
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, has announced that the Department of Agriculture will cease federal funding to states that don’t provide data regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in an effort to combat fraud.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Rollins mentioned the USDA’s initiatives and addressed the fraud detected within SNAP. He noted that earlier this year, the department requested states to share their data to assist in identifying fraudulent activities, but only 29 states complied.
“There are numerous positive efforts ongoing at the Department of Agriculture, but SNAP reform has notably gained attention, especially during the Democratic shutdown,” Rollins remarked. He emphasized the concerning levels of fraud affecting the program, which serves 42 million Americans.
He shared that since President Trump took office, 800,000 individuals have exited the food stamp program. Additionally, authorities found that Social Security numbers of 186,000 deceased individuals were still being used, and around 500,000 individuals received benefits that were excessively high.
“In February, we requested all states to submit their data to help us address this fraud and to ensure that aid reaches those truly in need,” Rollins said. He pointed out that protecting taxpayer funds is a priority. While 29 states, particularly those with Republican leadership, agreed to share data, a notable number did not.
Rollins specifically mentioned that 21 states, including California, New York, and Minnesota, have refused to provide the necessary SNAP data. He indicated that starting next week, federal fund transfers to these states would be halted until compliance is achieved.
In an interview with Newsmax, Rollins highlighted that “186,000 deceased individuals are still receiving checks,” emphasizing that this figure is derived from the states that opted to share their data.
“Imagine the findings if we had data from the blue states,” he added.
According to Breitbart News, Rollins reviewed data from the 29 states involved in food stamp programs and discovered EBT cards with balances over $10,000, others that haven’t been used in years, and cards issued to individuals who do not exist.
