Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., is pressing five Democratic governors to explain why their states have not turned over Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data requested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a nationwide effort to identify fraud and improper payments.
Burchett, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), sent letters Wednesday to the governors of New York, California, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania seeking documents and communications related to their refusal to provide information that USDA says is necessary to monitor the integrity of the federally funded program.
The letters were sent to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, provides grocery assistance to low-income individuals and families and costs the federal government more than $100 billion annually.
Last month, USDA instructed all 50 states to provide data related to SNAP participation and payments as part of a broader effort to detect fraud, waste, and abuse.
According to Burchett, 29 states have complied with the request, allowing USDA to identify what he described as at least $3 billion in potential waste, fraud, and abuse. The five states that have not complied include those with some of the nation’s largest SNAP caseloads.
In his letter to Hochul, Burchett argued that additional cooperation could uncover even more improper payments.
“USDA would likely be able to identify billions more in potential fraud if non-complying states, including New York, which is among the states with the largest number of SNAP beneficiaries, were to step up and constructively participate in this effort,” he wrote.
He added that New York’s refusal to provide the requested information carries “a great cost to the American public.”
Hochul’s office rejected the accusation.
“Any allegation that New York is unlawfully withholding data is patently false,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The governor’s office said New York remains committed to administering SNAP responsibly while reviewing USDA’s latest request. Officials also pointed to prior litigation, noting that a federal court blocked an earlier Trump administration effort to require 22 states, including New York, to provide certain SNAP recipient data.
“New York takes its oversight of SNAP seriously and remains committed to providing eligible New Yorkers with the assistance they need to put food on the table,” the spokesperson said.
The statement also criticized congressional Republicans, saying they have sought to reduce food assistance while Hochul has focused on protecting vulnerable New Yorkers.
As of Wednesday, the offices of Newsom, Pritzker, Whitmer, and Shapiro had not publicly responded to the letters.
The dispute comes ahead of a House DOGE subcommittee hearing focused on SNAP oversight and program integrity.
Burchett said the committee intends to examine why improper payments continue to occur and what reforms Congress could pursue to strengthen accountability.
“Roughly $10 billion in taxpayer funds were lost through SNAP in 2024, while some states refuse to hand over the data needed to crack down on fraud,” Burchett said in a statement.
“Americans are sick of their money being wasted or stolen by fraudsters,” he continued. “SNAP is one of the federal government’s largest welfare programs, costing taxpayers more than $100 billion each year.”
Burchett argued that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the program serves eligible recipients while protecting taxpayer dollars from abuse.
