politics
House DOGE chairman seeks data from five states on SNAP program
A House subcommittee chairman sent letters to five Democratic governors requesting documents on state compliance with a federal data-sharing requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The request follows a USDA directive issued last month.
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The chairman of the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency sent letters Wednesday to the governors of New York, California, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania requesting documents related to their states' refusal to share SNAP data with federal officials.
The letters cite a U.S. Department of Agriculture directive issued last month requiring all states to provide data on SNAP disbursements to address fraud concerns. The five states have the largest SNAP populations among those that have not complied.
Background on the data request The USDA has reported identifying at least $3 billion in potential waste, fraud and abuse in the 29 states that have already shared their data. The chairman stated that additional billions could be identified if the remaining states participated.
The $100 billion federal program provides monthly benefits to low-income households for eligible food purchases. The letters were sent ahead of a subcommittee hearing scheduled for Thursday morning. A spokesperson for one of the governors said New York is reviewing the request and disputed allegations that the state is unlawfully withholding data.
The spokesperson added that the state remains committed to providing assistance to eligible residents. The other four governors' offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The chairman stated that roughly $10 billion in taxpayer funds were lost through SNAP in 2024.
