Sec. Rollins defends the proposed SNAP cuts

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.

Related Stories
National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman joins us to discuss Prop 12 provisions in the House’s Farm Bill as it heads to the Senate for debate.
Practical changes to retailer stocking standards promote more options all while reducing fraud and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt joins us to discuss House passage of the Farm Bill, its potential impact on farm profitability and stability, key policy compromises, and the outlook for Senate consideration.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins plans a farm visit in Missouri, hinting at a possible fertilizer relief announcement on RFD-TV earlier this week. USDA also restructures its research infrastructure and launches new food-safety centers.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins hints at new fertilizer plan while trade deals, soybean markets, and farm bill momentum drive ag policy discussion.
A prolonged Iran ceasefire offers limited relief as fertilizer concerns persist, prompting U.S. policy shifts and driving farmers to reconsider crop acreage.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Support policies that keep U.S. biofuels at the table—marine demand could materially lift corn grind, crush margins, and rural jobs.
FarmHER Katey Jo Evans joins us to share her journey from farm wife to entrepreneur and advocate for reducing food waste.
China is not one of our top suppliers of cooking oil, according to USDA ERS data, but does export a lot of used cooking oil to the U.S. for biofuel production.
Industry leaders say $11 billion in new investments could turn the tide as dairy producers face shrinking margins and growing uncertainty.