Federal government under Trump's leadership issues warning to withhold $460 million in food assistance funds unless Pennsylvania surrenders private data
The ongoing dispute between the White House and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro centers around the state's food-stamp program, specifically the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given Pennsylvania until Friday to provide personal data about those who receive food assistance or face a potential withholding of more than 10 cents of every dollar in food aid, which amounts to nearly half a billion dollars each year.
The dispute concerns the USDA's request for personal data, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, about SNAP recipients. The Shapiro administration is not disclosing much about the dispute, with the governor's office deferring comment to the Department of Human Services. The Department of Human Services has stated that it is in touch with the USDA regarding the data request and is evaluating next steps.
Pennsylvania currently shares SNAP data with the feds through an interstate data-matching system to prevent people from receiving benefits in more than one state. However, the threatened $115.3 million penalty is based on Pennsylvania's 10.76% SNAP error rate, which changes yearly by calculating overpayments and underpayments of food assistance dollars. The error rate is not a measure of fraud, as administrative and paperwork errors can also result in misdirected benefits.
The ongoing dispute has raised concerns among food-justice advocates, who worry the data request is part of the Trump administration's immigration-control effort, and the information could be shared with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Advocacy groups have expressed concerns about the data request and the potential threat of lost funding.
Reactions to the USDA request have varied from state to state, with Republican governors in some states, like Vermont and Virginia, complying, while Democratic counterparts have taken the matter to court. In Kansas, the controversy has boiled over into a public legal battle, with Republican attorney general Kris Kobach suing Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat.
Several states, including California, filed a lawsuit over the data request, arguing it could create a government surveillance database. Pennsylvania did not join the suit. The Trump administration will start penalizing states in 2027 if their food assistance error rates remain above 10%.
As the deadline approaches, the future of food assistance for nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians hangs in the balance. With benefits amounting to over $350 million per month as of August, the potential loss of half a billion federal dollars could have a significant impact on the state's most vulnerable residents. The Department of Human Services is yet to announce its next steps, leaving many in Pennsylvania waiting with bated breath.
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