Trump administration threatens to withhold food assistance from 21 states

United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has threatened to revoke national funds from Democratic states that are presently warring an bid to surrender information astir nutrient assistance recipients.

On Tuesday, during the past furniture gathering of the year, Rollins spoke astir the ongoing lawsuit, which pits 21 states and the District of Columbia against the medication of US President Donald Trump.

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Under Trump, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has demanded that states manus implicit identifying accusation astir recipients who payment from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sometimes called nutrient stamps, SNAP helps low-income households spend groceries. Nearly 41.7 cardinal radical relied connected the programme arsenic of fiscal twelvemonth 2024, a fig that represents astir 12 percent of US residents.

The USDA’s bid would necessitate states to walk on accusation similar Social Security numbers, commencement dates and location addresses to national authorities. Critics fearfulness that specified a information transportation could represent an penetration of privacy.

Rollins, however, told the furniture gathering that the accusation was needed to code alleged fraud and “protect the American taxpayer”.

“ We asked for each the states, for the archetypal time, to crook implicit their information to the national authorities to fto the USDA spouse with them to basal retired this fraud, to marque definite that those who truly request nutrient stamps are getting them,” she said.

She indicated that absorption to her request was a question of partisan politics.

“ Twenty-nine states said yes. Not surprisingly, the reddish states. And that’s wherever each of that information [about] fraud comes from,” Rollins continued. “But 21 states including California, New York and Minnesota — the bluish states — proceed to accidental no.”

As a result, those Democratic-leaning states would nary longer beryllium receiving national enactment for their SNAP recipients, according to Rollins.

“So arsenic of adjacent week, we person begun and volition statesman to halt moving national funds into those states until they comply,” she said.

An ongoing ineligible question

It is unclear whether Rollins volition beryllium capable to transportation retired her threat.

In September, a US territory tribunal successful bluish California issued a impermanent restraining bid preventing the national authorities from enforcing its information request. In October, different proceeding was held connected the issue, and a impermanent injunction was again granted.

“Let’s beryllium crystal clear: The President is trying to hijack a nutrition programme to substance his wide surveillance agenda,” California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said successful a statement aft the October ruling.

“We won’t fto that hap — not connected our watch, and not successful our communities.”

Tuesday’s announcement that the states progressive successful the suit would spot a suspension of national SNAP funds was met with outrage by immoderate apical Democratic leaders.

“Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration truthful hellbent connected radical going hungry?” New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted connected societal media, with a nexus to Rollins’s remarks.

The Democrats connected the House Agriculture Committee besides released a statement, denouncing the Trump administration’s plan.

“Yet again, Trump and Rollins are illegally threatening to withhold national dollars. SNAP has 1 of the lowest fraud rates of immoderate authorities program, but Trump continues to weaponize hunger,” the statement said.

But Rollins struck backmost connected societal media, accusing the states of seeking to support “their bribery schemes”, an allegation made without proof.

“NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple,” she wrote. “If a authorities won’t stock information connected transgression usage of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of national SNAP administrative funding.”

Leveraging SNAP?

Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a study stating that 11.7 percent of SNAP benefits dispersed successful fiscal twelvemonth 2023 were “improper”. This amounted to astir $10.5bn successful incorrect payments.

But immoderate of those “improper” disbursements were overpayments and underpayments to morganatic recipients, the study explained.

Tuesday’s menace was besides not the archetypal clip the Trump medication has sought to suspend SNAP funds.

During this year’s authorities shutdown, which lasted a grounds 43 days, the USDA announced it would not wage SNAP benefits for the period of November.

Critics accused the Trump medication of leveraging nutrient assistance to unit Democratic lawmakers to walk a Republican-approved budget, and dozens of states sued.

Two national courts sided with the states, ordering the national authorities to resume its funding. The Trump medication then appealed to the Supreme Court, which placed a hold connected the little courts’ rulings.

The impasse yet ended erstwhile the authorities shutdown came to a adjacent connected November 12.