WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins declared Tuesday that the Trump administration will initiate withholding of federal funds from Democrat-led states resisting sharing detailed data on recipients of food assistance. Speaking during a White House Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Rollins announced that non-compliant states would face blocked funding allocations.
Rollins stated, “We request information necessary to root out fraud and protect taxpayers,” citing February’s nationwide demand for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program records from each state. She emphasized the administration’s decision not merely as policy but as a direct action: “Beginning next week, federal funds will stop moving into states until they comply.”
Despite differing tallies provided by officials versus an earlier USDA statement that claimed 28 states had cooperated (“states like California, New York, and Minnesota”), Rollins confirmed the administration’s stance against resistance. The discrepancy in state counts between her announcement during the meeting and a subsequent press release raised questions without offering immediate clarification.
This development marks another escalation in federal efforts to secure comprehensive SNAP data amid growing concerns over privacy oversight. Democrat-led officials across multiple states have signaled their intention for further legal challenges as they maintain opposition based on fears that federal demands exceed constitutional authority or threaten individual privacy rights, particularly regarding sensitive information collection.
Administration officials insisted Tuesday on the necessity of state cooperation for fraud detection and eligibility verification. Rollins underscored this point, stating funding restrictions would begin shortly to enforce compliance with data-sharing requirements until states provide requested records.
