SNAP Benefits In Focus: Trump Admin Targets Biden's Food Assistance Policies

The Trump administration plans to overhaul food assistance programs, with the new Department of Agriculture leadership promising to fix what they call Biden-era “financial mismanagement” of food benefits.

Kailee Buller, the new USDA chief of staff, accused former department Secretary Tom Vilsack of putting politics over commonsense in managing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"Make no mistake, Secretary Vilsack and Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean put politics over commonsense, ignoring scores of USDA financial analysts and policy experts," Buller said in a statement. "The Trump Administration will immediately correct this egregious action, making certain material weaknesses like this do not happen again."

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However, Buller did not provide specifics on a General Accounting Office review findings or how the administration intends to fix the alleged mismanagement.

The criticism comes as House Republicans propose $230 billion in cuts across USDA programs. The reductions would likely decrease current benefit levels, not just expand work requirements, according to Politico.

According to the USDA, SNAP served an average of 42.1 million Americans monthly in fiscal year 2023, accounting for about 68% of USDA nutrition spending. Nearly 40% of recipients in 2022 were children, with 11.6% under age 5 and 28% between ages 5 and 17. The program provides critical food benefits to supplement the grocery budgets of low-income families.

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The Biden administration had increased benefits by updating the Thrifty Food Plan to reflect current food prices and dietary guidance, according to Newsweek. Republican lawmakers opposed the move, with House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA) attempting to restrict USDA’s authority to revise the plan in his proposed 2024 Farm Bill.

“This is not about ‘cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.’ It’s about slashing benefits for working-class Americans to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-rich,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) posted on X. Experts at the Center for American Progress warn that the Republican-controlled Congress will likely target the critical food aid program.

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The proposed cuts face resistance from some Republicans in competitive districts concerned about impacts on low-income families ahead of 2026 midterms. States with the highest percentage of SNAP recipients in 2023 included Oregon, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

The department faces additional changes under Trump. On Monday, it terminated 18 contracts totaling $9 million as part of Elon Musk‘s government efficiency initiatives, while reportedly removing climate change references from its website. The USDA has also seen climate program funding slashed.

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