Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins is defending proposed cost-sharing measures. During her more than four hours of testimony before the House Ag Committee yesterday, she said the SNAP program costs hundreds of millions of dollars each day. However, one California lawmaker took issue with the Department’s assessment of those state error rates.
“We spend at the USDA across 16 nutrition programs about $400 million a day on those nutrition programs. That’s just alone by any given number, up to 30% of that is fraud, waste, and abuse. At this time of unemployment, we were 17 million; we’re now at 42 million of people on the SNAP program. So, there is a lot of room to do better, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Error rates among states have been an issue, though. During the Biden Administration, officials said that during 2023, the overpayment rate came in at just over 10 percent for the year. Error rates varied by state, with Alaska coming in the highest at 60 percent. Some states, like South Dakota, had overpayments as low as three percent.
While the agriculture industry hoped details on proposed “bridge” payments for farmers would be released this week, Ag Secretary Brook Rollins said the USDA is still working with the White House on the finer points.
December 03, 2025 01:36 PM
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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says recent wins in markets like Malaysia and Cambodia help farmers focus on production rather than trade barriers.
November 11, 2025 03:50 PM
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The Senate has cleared a path to reopen USDA, but full restoration of services depends on House approval and the President’s signature.
November 10, 2025 10:13 AM
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The Sheinbaum–Rollins meeting signals progress, but the focus remains on fully containing screwworm before cross-border movement resumes.
November 05, 2025 10:18 AM
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According to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, the top three soy-crushing companies in Bangladesh agreed to buy $1 billion worth of U.S. soybeans over the next year.
November 04, 2025 11:17 AM
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USDA will meet part of November SNAP benefits under court direction, citing insufficient funds for full payments.
November 04, 2025 10:20 AM
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An import lag for ground beef will likely look different than last year’s egg shortage. The difference comes down to biosecurity and market flexibility.
November 03, 2025 12:07 PM
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October 30, 2025 06:21 PM
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U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) shares his perspective on the U.S.-China trade developments and their potential impact on American producers, farmers, and ranchers.
October 30, 2025 12:56 PM
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