A new Republican-backed bill that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrant agricultural workers is facing an onslaught of criticism from immigration hawks.
House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn &#8220;GT&#8221; Thompson (R-PA) recently introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act to provide illegal immigrant farmworkers with a path to temporary legal status.
Gregory Bovino, who led the Trump administration&#8217;s aggressive deportation sweeps in Minneapolis and other major cities before his recent retirement from Border Patrol, <a href="https://x.com/GregoryKBovino/status/2079545595359092890">said</a> the Republican lawmakers backing the bill &#8220;just stabbed Trump’s deportation promise in the back.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re only gonna get the message one way. Vote every single one of them out in a massive wave, and replace them with real immigration hawks. Anything less, and they’ll never take us seriously,&#8221; Bovino wrote on X Tuesday.
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Trump tells me he doesn&#8217;t know about Securing Agriculture&#8217;s Workforce Act of 2026, a bill that would allow illegals in farming, meat packing and lodging industries to gain legal status.
He says he will look into it. <a href="https://t.co/VJNiIujIhy">pic.twitter.com/VJNiIujIhy</a>
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) <a href="https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/2079595048665026660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When asked about the bill Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he &#8220;didn&#8217;t know about it,&#8221; but would &#8220;take a look at it.&#8221;
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I will fight AGAINST any amnesty proposal in Congress.
Illegal aliens BROKE our laws, and they MUST go home.
AMNESTY is betraying the trust of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/aJJwwD4h6U">pic.twitter.com/aJJwwD4h6U</a>
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080007704966209633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a recent Newsmax appearance, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) came out in opposition to the bill, saying it provides illegal immigrants with a &#8220;pathway to citizenship&#8221; without offering &#8220;comprehensive reform.&#8221;
&#8220;So we have a lot of work to do on immigration. Look, we know the immigration system is broken, that&#8217;s why I carry most of the legislation on immigration, fixing immigration. But as we have this conversation, there can be no amnesty as part of that conversation,&#8221; Ogles said.
&#8220;Look, if you want to get a work visa, that&#8217;s one thing, but you also have to understand that if you want to become a citizen, you need to go back to your country, and you need to apply the right way and you need to stand in line like everyone else,&#8221; he added.
Jeremy Beck, co-President of NumbersUSA, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/no-amnesty-calls-grow-over-bill-to-aid-immigrant-farm-workers-12223448">told</a> Newsweek that the bill is &#8220;an amnesty for employers engaged in illegal hiring,&#8221; adding that &#8220;It allows hundreds of thousands of illegal workers to stay as long as they indenture themselves to the agricultural industry.&#8221;
&#8220;Then the bill lowers workers&#8217; wages and deducts the cost of housing from their paychecks,&#8221; Beck said.
&#8220;No amnesty!&#8221; Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said in response to the bill. &#8220;Amnesty is NOT what people voted for in 2024!&#8221;
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No amnesty. <a href="https://t.co/rgghloBMux">https://t.co/rgghloBMux</a> <a href="https://t.co/wHEjV8s3fu">pic.twitter.com/wHEjV8s3fu</a>
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/2079297177097027977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The bill would meet the demands of farm industry giants, including by allowing farms to employ H-2A migrant farmworkers for year-round labor, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/no-amnesty-migrant-farmworker-bill-opens-major-rift-within-gop-01007072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Politico.
“[The bill] does acknowledge that dairy farmers have never had a workable ag-labor visa program, and it provides a short-term mechanism that will avoid massive disruptions to its workforce, which would in turn devastate family farms, create supply chain disruptions, and increase consumer costs,” Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, said in a statement.
John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, said the bill “follows through on President Trump’s promise from last Spring to protect American agriculture and seeks to codify a system that will ensure all of agriculture has access to a legal workforce when Americans won’t do the job,&#8221; according to Politico.
Thompson argues that the bill is needed to address a years-long farm &#8220;labor crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;They can&#8217;t get the help they need to harvest their crops and astronomical labor costs have pushed many lifelong farmers to the brink of bankruptcy,&#8221; Thompson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/872828202078448">said</a>.
&#8220;This is happening because the very program that once kept farmers in business is sinking under the weight of bureaucratic costs. Without reform, the H-2A visa program may now be the reason these same farms cannot be passed on to the next generation,&#8221; he said.

Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson

New Republican Amnesty Bill Ignites Ire Of Immigration Hardliners

Agriculture

amnesty

Congress

Donald Trump

Farmers

Farming

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Immigration

Republicans

Ron DeSantis

Consumers are feeling the effects of rising beef prices every time they walk into the grocery store. What many don&#8217;t realize is that those prices are the result of pressures that have been building on American farmers for decades.
Today, the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in roughly 75 years. It may sound like a simple supply-and-demand problem, but after more than 50 years in the cattle business, I can tell you it&#8217;s more complicated than that.
The cattle shortage we are experiencing today did not happen overnight. Years of rising operating costs, growing competition from imports, and industry consolidation have forced many ranchers to reduce their herd sizes or leave the business altogether. And while there are efforts underway to rebuild the nation&#8217;s cattle herd, it will take time. And the rebuild is not a certainty. A cow&#8217;s gestation period is nine months — then it takes another two years for that calf to reach slaughter. A herd rebuild is measured in years, not months.
But the cattle shortage itself is only part of the story.
Many consumers have little knowledge of where their beef actually comes from. Current labeling rules can allow imported beef to be processed domestically and marketed in ways that leave consumers with the impression it was entirely produced in the United States. At the same time, the modern American beef supply chain has become increasingly dependent on imported lean beef, which is frequently blended with domestic beef before reaching consumers.
As a result, consumers often have no clear way of knowing where the beef they purchase originated or how much of it was raised by American ranchers. The lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and intentionally support domestic producers.
At the same time, four major meatpacking companies process the vast majority (about 80%) of America&#8217;s beef. This concentration has reduced competition, weakened the bargaining position of American ranchers, and placed significant influence over pricing and supply chains in the hands of a small number of companies.
When consumers see higher beef prices, they should understand that many ranchers are not the ones setting these prices. Most are simply trying to stay in business, while remaining largely at the mercy of a highly concentrated meatpacking industry.
I know this because I lived it.
For decades, my family&#8217;s farm in Bluffton, Georgia — White Oak Pastures — operated within the conventional industrial model that has come to dominate American agriculture. Over time, I began to see how an emphasis on scale, efficiency, and consolidation created unintended consequences for everyone involved.
That experience taught me an important lesson: there are factors beyond efficiency, such as how we steward the land, animal welfare, and resilience in the food supply chain.
If we continue down our current path, we risk fewer independent ranchers, fewer young people entering agriculture, and greater dependence on increasingly outsourced beef production.
One important step we can take today is Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL), which would provide consumers with greater transparency about where their meat originates, and allow them to make more informed purchasing decisions — and to specifically support American farmers. But labeling alone is not enough in the long run.
If we want affordable beef, a secure food supply, and a stronger agricultural future, we need policies that support independent producers, strengthen rural economies, and preserve America&#8217;s ability to produce its own food.
The current cattle shortage should be viewed as more than a temporary spike in beef prices — it is a warning sign.
For decades, shrinking cattle inventories, rising production costs, industry consolidation, and growing dependence on global supply chains have quietly reshaped the beef industry. Today&#8217;s higher prices are simply making those underlying pressures more visible to consumers.
Food security does not begin at the grocery store. It begins on farms and ranches across America. If we want affordable food tomorrow, we must ensure American farmers and ranchers can remain in business today.
***
Will Harris is the owner of White Oak Pastures and is a fourth-generation cattle rancher.

Average Price Per Pound Of Ground Beef Passes The Minimum Wage Benchmark

What A Cattle Rancher Knows About Beef Prices That Consumers Don’t

Beef

Beef prices

Cattle industry

DW Opinion

Meatpacking

President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration is pulling no punches in the war on Cochliomyia hominivorax — the New World Screwworm.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on Monday released a fact sheet detailing a number of steps that are being taken to target and eradicate the parasitic insect — which primarily infests livestock and pets, but can infect humans as well.
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🚨 WAR ON SCREWWORM 
Inspect • Report • Protect
We have been in full combat mode against this invasive threat since Day One.
• Millions of sterile flies deployed weekly in the infected 20km zone alone — 4 million by air + 4 million on the ground, plus an additional 90… <a href="https://t.co/ALip0RLUMk">pic.twitter.com/ALip0RLUMk</a>
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://x.com/SecRollins/status/2064028107837739336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We have been in full combat mode against this invasive threat since Day One,&#8221; Rollins declared in her X post.
She then went on to list the steps being taken by the Department of Agriculture to prevent any further spread of the dangerous insect: &#8220;Millions of sterile flies deployed weekly in the infected 20km zone alone — 4 million by air + 4 million on the ground, plus an additional 90 million across the broader response area; New Texas production facility being fast-tracked at unprecedented speed; Production facility coming online in Mexico in the next month; Aggressive eradication efforts across the frontline.&#8221;
&#8220;This Administration is working hand-in-hand with our Texas partners delivering an unprecedented response: hitting harder, faster, and smarter than ever before,&#8221; Rollins added. &#8220;Thanks to our proactive preparation and rapid response, American agriculture will not be disrupted. We will eradicate this threat.&#8221;
The first confirmed case of a New World <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flesh-eating-screwworm-reaches-u-s-livestock">Screwworm</a> infestation in American livestock had come just days prior, when a young calf in Texas tested positive for the parasite. The screwworm typically enters an animal through an open wound, where it then proceeds to feed on living tissue. Screwworms can wreak havoc on livestock and can be deadly if they are not caught early enough.

Governor Greg Abbott Holds A Press Conference On New World Screwworm In Texas

Trump Admin Declares ‘War On Screwworm’ To Contain Flesh-Eating Parasite

Trump Admin Declares 'War On Screwworm' To Contain Flesh-Eating Parasite

Politics

Screwworm

President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion bailout for American farmers on Monday afternoon as many farmers have taken a blow due to the president’s tariffs.
Most of the $12 billion aid package will go toward one-time payments for farmers, especially soybean farmers, whose industry has taken a massive hit from Trump’s steep tariffs on China, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-08/trump-set-to-unveil-12-billion-aid-for-farmers-hit-by-trade-war">reported</a>. Up to $11 billion will be provided to farmers under the Department of Agriculture’s new Farmer Bridge Assistance program. Trump was joined by soybean, corn, cotton, sorghum, rice, cattle, wheat, and potato farmers at the White House for the announcement.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998115240983019905">said</a> that the $12 billion for American farmers will come from the &#8220;hundreds of billions of dollars&#8221; the United States has collected in tariff revenue. The United States has brought in around $260 billion in tariff revenue this year alone.
Trump blasted former President Joe Biden&#8217;s economic policies that he said hurt American farmers, adding that under the Trump administration, farmers would be &#8220;put first.&#8221;
&#8220;Farm bankruptcies under Joe Biden went up 55%. That&#8217;s not good,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But now we&#8217;re once again in a position where a president is able to put farmers first. Unfortunately, I&#8217;m the only president that does that.&#8221;
Trump’s financial aid will help a farming industry that relies heavily on exports to foreign nations. Around 25% of soybeans grown in the United States are exported to China, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-to-unveil-12-billion-bailout-for-farmers-064eb1de?mod=hp_lead_pos4">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
After Trump rolled out his tariffs on China earlier this year, the communist country completely cut off its imports of American soybeans until it reached a deal with the Trump administration in late October. Soybean, wheat, and corn farmers have already lost an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/us/politics/farmers-aid-trade-war.html#:~:text=Trump%20cares%20about%20farmers%20and,that%20took%20years%20to%20win.">estimated</a> $13 billion due to the president’s trade war, according to a farm group study.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/15/trump-economy-farmers-bailout">hinted</a> at the administration’s farm bailout in early October, calling the plan “clever and generous.” The farm aid rollout was delayed due to the record-long government shutdown that lasted from October 1 to November 12.
After the United States and China struck a deal to lower tariffs, China pledged to purchase 12 million tons of American soybeans by the end of the year. Since the end of October, China has purchased just over two million tons, according to Bloomberg. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday that China is so far complying with its agreement.
“With China, it’s always we verify, and we monitor, and we watch the commitments. The commitments are quite specific,” Greer said during an appearance on “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News. “So all of these things that we’ve agreed to with the Chinese recently are very concrete, we can monitor them with some ease, and so far, we’re seeing that they’re in compliance.”
Farmers have argued that they need government help to pay off debt and plan for next year’s crops. They make up a large part of Trump’s base and have continued to back the president. In the 2024 election, Trump’s support among farming communities <a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/11/13/trump-election-farming-counties-trade-war/">increased</a> nationwide compared to 2020 and 2016. Trump won 78% of the vote from farming counties in 2024, two points better than he fared in 2020 and five points better than in 2016.
During his first term, the president allocated $28 billion to farmers affected by his administration’s tariffs on China.

Trump Farm Bailout

Trump Provides Billions In Relief To Farmers Impacted By Tariffs

China

Executive

Tariffs

The U.S. is investigating meatpacking companies, the attorney general said on Friday, after President Donald Trump accused the companies of using price manipulation and collusion to drive up beef prices.
The probe shows the Trump administration is seeking to tackle high food prices that have outpaced inflation. The Department of Justice is already probing whether egg producers conspired to inflate the price of eggs.
Beef prices set records in 2025 after a years-long drought burned up pasture lands and hiked feeding costs for cattle, forcing ranchers to slash the nation&#8217;s herd to the smallest level in nearly 75 years. Consumer demand has remained generally strong despite high prices.
&#8220;I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who are driving up the price of Beef through Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation,&#8221; Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without naming companies.
Ranchers have long complained about consolidation in the packing industry, where Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS USA and National Beef Packing Company slaughter about 80% of U.S. grain-fattened cattle that are made into steaks, beef roasts and other cuts of meat.
Cargill declined to comment. Spokespeople for the other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
&#8220;This entire industry is highly concentrated and well beyond the level that&#8217;s normally considered a harm to the economy,&#8221; said Bill Bullard, CEO of cattle producers&#8217; group R-CALF USA.
JBS USA is owned by Brazilian meatpacker JBS, while Brazil&#8217;s Marfrig Global Foods SA holds a controlling stake in National Beef Packing Company.
The administration of former President Joe Biden also blamed meatpacking companies for rising food prices.
Tyson, Cargill and JBS have paid tens of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits accusing the companies of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply. They have denied wrongdoing.
The DOJ has already begun an investigation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who leads the DOJ&#8217;s antitrust division, are working together on the probe, Bondi said.
The antitrust division has both civil and criminal investigative authority, and can issue subpoenas for documents and witness testimony in its investigations into suspected anticompetitive conduct.
Slater, a former economic adviser to Vice President JD Vance, has said the DOJ&#8217;s antitrust division will focus on &#8220;pocketbook issues&#8221; facing consumers, such as food, housing and transportation.
Bipartisan calls for antitrust enforcement in the packing industry have mounted in recent years.
At a hearing in June, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, and Cory Booker, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, called for antitrust enforcement in the sector.
&#8220;We need transparency, accountability, and a fair market that rewards those who actually raise and produce our beef — not the corporate middlemen gaming the system,&#8221; Rollins said in a post on X.
Trump recently angered ranchers by urging them to lower cattle prices and suggesting the country could increase low-tariff imports of Argentine beef to lower U.S. beef prices. Economists said increased imports from Argentina would not meaningfully reduce grocery store prices for U.S. consumers.
In August, Trump implemented a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods that has slowed imports of a major source of beef that was mixed with U.S. hamburger meat, further tightening supplies.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Bhargav Acharya in Toronto, Tom Polansek in Chicago and Jody Godoy in New York; editing by Chris Sanders, Costas Pitas, Rod Nickel)

Justice Dept Probes Meatpackers Over ‘Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing’ Driving Up Prices

Department of Justice

Food

U.S.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins were united in their messaging on Tuesday as to how the administration would handle illegal workers on farms: there will be no amnesty.
Rollins addressed the matter first during a press conference at the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday morning, where The Daily Wire asked her about the president&#8217;s previous comments voicing concerns that mass deportations would disrupt the farm industry.
&#8220;The president has been unequivocal that there will be no amnesty,&#8221; Rollins assured The Daily Wire, noting that Trump is focused on his promise to ensure that &#8220;we have a 100% American workforce.&#8221;
&#8220;We must be strategic in how we are implementing the mass deportations so as not to compromise our food supply,&#8221; she caveated. &#8220;Ultimately the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure&#8230;there are 34 million able bodied adults in our Medicaid program.&#8221;
&#8220;There are plenty of workers in America, but we just have to make sure we are not compromising today, especially in the context of everything we are thinking about right now,&#8221; she said.
<div id="attachment_944197" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-amnesty-trump-usda-chief-address-deportations-of-illegal-farm-workers/president-trump-holds-cabinet-meeting-5" rel="attachment wp-att-944197"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-944197" class="wp-image-944197 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2223528881-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2223528881-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2223528881-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2223528881-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2223528881.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Trump holds a cabinet meeting (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Her comments came amid claims from conservative commentators like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon that there was a push for the president to sign an amnesty deal. Kirk emphasized Tuesday that &#8220;people are pushing President Trump for amnesty. They are pushing him for the mass legalization of illegals.&#8221;
The topic has drawn the attention of many within the conservative movement and Republican Party, who have called on the president to adhere to his promises on border security and mass deportations.
And on Tuesday, as she addressed the rumors, Rollins was very frank: there would not be any amnesty deal.
&#8220;So, no amnesty under any circumstances,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Mass deportations continue but in a strategic and intentional way, as we move our workforce toward more automation and toward a 100% American workforce.&#8221;
She pointed to the members of Congress behind her, also gathered for the press conference on the Department of Agriculture&#8217;s National Farm Security Action Plan.
&#8220;And ultimately, it is the wonderful members of Congress behind me who are taking this on, fixing the current immigration system,&#8221; she concluded.
During the president&#8217;s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the question came up again. Trump quickly responded: &#8220;There is no amnesty. What we are doing is we&#8217;re getting rid of criminals, but we are doing a work program.&#8221;
Both Rollins and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer voiced their support to the president&#8217;s statements. Rollins emphasized that mass deportations will continue in a strategic way, and the president chimed in, &#8220;We&#8217;ve gotta give the farmers the people they need but we&#8217;re not talking amnesty.&#8221;
Chavez-DeRemer then added that the Department of Labor has developed a new office to answer the needs of farmers and ranchers and producers, and stressed that her office is working &#8220;not to displace the American producer.&#8221;
&#8220;That does not include an amnesty program at all,&#8221; she stressed.

National Farm Security Action Plan

‘NO AMNESTY’: Trump, USDA Chief Address Deportations Of Illegal Farm Workers

brooke rollins

WASHINGTON — The United States Department of Agriculture is assisting the Department of Education in its investigation of California and the state&#8217;s law prohibiting school officials from sharing a child&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity&#8221; with parents, The Daily Wire has learned.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins informed California Governor Gavin Newsom of the move in a letter sent Thursday evening, first obtained by The Daily Wire.
&#8220;This is to inform you that, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the United States Department of Agriculture is undertaking a review of its research and other education-related funding in California for compliance with the Constitution, federal laws including Titles VI and IX, and the priorities of the Trump Administration,&#8221; Rollins wrote.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-usda-investigating-california-for-transitioning-kids-hiding-gender-identity/screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8-11-11-pm" rel="attachment wp-att-899331"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-899331 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8.11.11%E2%80%AFPM-467x576.png" alt="" width="467" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8.11.11%E2%80%AFPM-467x576.png 467w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8.11.11%E2%80%AFPM-243x300.png 243w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8.11.11%E2%80%AFPM-768x947.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-27-at-8.11.11%E2%80%AFPM.png 1070w" sizes=" (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /></a>
The USDA secretary told Newsom that her department will be working with other agencies and departments to ensure that California is in compliance with the United States Constitution, federal laws (including Titles VI and IX), and President Donald Trump&#8217;s priorities.
Specifically, USDA is supporting the Education Department&#8217;s investigation into the California Department of Education for violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
&#8220;As the ED reported today, FERPA gives parents the right to access their children’s education records, but the California Department of Education has allegedly abdicated the responsibilities FERPA imposes, due to a new California state law that prohibits school personnel from disclosing records about a child’s &#8216;gender identity&#8217; to that child’s parent,&#8221; Rollins wrote.
<div id="attachment_899327" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-usda-investigating-california-for-transitioning-kids-hiding-gender-identity/us-politics-trump-cabinet-6" rel="attachment wp-att-899327"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-899327" class="wp-image-899327 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2206206722-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2206206722-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2206206722-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2206206722-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2206206722.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins (2nd L) speaks as US President Donald Trump hosts a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 24, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)</div>
&#8220;USDA will support ED’s investigation and efforts to vigorously protect parents’ rights and ensure that students do not fall victim to a radical transgender ideology that often leads to family alienation and irreversible medical interventions,&#8221; she added, noting: &#8220;Similarly, we will be reviewing our federal funding with respect to other related matters under investigation.&#8221;
The move comes hours after the Education Department&#8217;s Student Privacy Policy Office announced an investigation into the California Department of Education (CDE) for &#8220;alleged violations&#8221; of FERPA, which &#8220;gives parents the right to access their children’s educational data.&#8221;
The Education Department said Thursday that CDE has &#8220;abdicated the responsibilities FERPA imposes&#8221; due to California&#8217;s law prohibiting school officials from sharing information about a child&#8217;s supposed &#8220;gender identity&#8221; with parents. In a release, the department said that it has reason to believe that numerous local educational agencies in California may be violating FERPA as they socially transition kids in school and hide their activities from parents.
Given the number of local educational agencies involved, the Education Department said, it is concerned that CDE is playing a role in the &#8220;widespread adoption of these practices.&#8221;
“Teachers and school counselors should not be in the business of advising minors entrusted to their care on consequential decisions about their sexual identity and mental health. That responsibility and privilege lies with a parent or trusted loved one,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement on Thursday. “It is not only immoral but also potentially in contradiction with federal law for California schools to hide crucial information about a student’s wellbeing from parents and guardians.&#8221;
&#8220;The agency launched today’s investigation to vigorously protect parents’ rights and ensure that students do not fall victim to a radical transgender ideology that often leads to family alienation and irreversible medical interventions,&#8221; she added.

US-ECONOMY-MILKEN

EXCLUSIVE: USDA Investigating California For Transitioning Kids, Hiding Gender Identity

California

Department of Education

General

USDA

A lobbyist for the American Heart Association turned heads last week when he asked Texas Republicans not to exclude soda, ultra-processed deserts, and candy from the list of items that can be bought with food stamps, despite the fact that the medical group has for years warned that such foods cause heart disease.
The testimony seemingly prioritized a left-wing opposition to welfare reform over the group&#8217;s mission and expertise — similar to scientists who said during COVID that mass gatherings were dangerous unless they were Black Lives Matter rallies, contributing to a dramatic loss of trust in medical experts. The testimony by Alec Puente, <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/file/yama-and-alec?action=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">director of government relations</a> for AHA, was so surprising that state Sen. Lois W. Kolkhorst (R), chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services, repeatedly wondered if AHA could truly be taking the position.
“I often say I can never be surprised in this building, but for the American Heart Association to be against this bill, that might be the surprise of the session so far,&#8221; Sen. Kolkhorst said. &#8220;I would encourage you to look at what it restricts. I don&#8217;t know if y&#8217;all&#8217;s board voted on that.”
But now, AHA has retracted the testimony, with spokesman Steve Weiss telling The Daily Wire that “The Association’s position on Texas Senate Bill 379 was miscommunicated during the TX Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing last week. The Association is not opposed to the bill, which would restrict purchases of sugary drinks and certain other unhealthy foods within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).”
“The miscommunication at the hearing from our representative, who is based in Texas, was unfortunate. We have corrected the record and worked to ensure this will not happen again,” Weiss said via email. “The Association remains committed to increasing the consumption of healthy food and decreasing the consumption of sugary drinks across our mission-critical work in scientific research, public policy and public awareness.”
He would not explain how the organization’s lobbyist managed to inadvertently <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/witlistmtg/pdf/C6102025031113301.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register in advance</a> specifically to testify against the bill, travel to the state capitol, and provide written and oral testimony that was the exact opposite of the organization’s mission. According to the Texas committee&#8217;s list of registered witnesses, Puente was joined by Walmart in opposing the law, while representatives from the Texas Radiological Society, Texas Medical Association, Make Texans Healthy Again, and End Chronic Disease showed up to support it.
Soda is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">single most frequently purchased item with food stamps</a>, despite the program&#8217;s stated goal of increasing nutrition for Americans. The AHA has lobbied cities to heavily <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/local-news/measure-z-passes-in-berkeley-and-santa-cruz-to-support-safe-and-healthy-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax soda</a> to disincentivize workers from purchasing it, but Puente told the Texas legislators that tax dollars should continue to buy soda outright for those on welfare.
“While improving Texans&#8217; diet is a shared goal, the heart association is concerned about potential impacts of this bill on participation and population health,” <a href="https://senate.texas.gov/videoplayer.php?vid=21315&amp;lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Puente testified</a>. “Policies intended to reduce obesity should be focused on the population as a whole rather than singling out SNAP participants. While we know that SNAP is meant to be a supplement, healthy fruits and vegetables remain out of reach for many, and this will not change until benefit adequacy is addressed.&#8221;
He advocated for SNAP benefits to be increased while still permitting them to be spent on junk food, which he said would result in more purchases of fruit.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-611453" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/20230829_104856-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/20230829_104856-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/20230829_104856-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/20230829_104856-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/20230829_104856-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></div>
“I certainly understand why that might be surprising,&#8221; Puente responded to rebuttal from Kolkhorst, the bewildered lawmaker. &#8220;If we were talking about the issue a bit more generally I think the position might be a bit more nuanced, but I think the basic position is going to be that for something like this, we would need to be confident that it would not have an impact on overall participation in the program.”
Puente did not explain why food stamp recipients would stop participating in the program if they could not buy soda and potato chips with it, why the heart association would have an interest in maintaining welfare participation rates, or how increasing food stamp benefits so participants could buy fruits on top of their existing load of artery-clogging sweets would reduce obesity.
His testimony was preceded by that of Grace Price, a 19-year old food activist, who said “SNAP kids consume 43% more sugary drinks than those not on SNAP.&#8221;
&#8220;With 72% of SNAP recipients also on Medicaid, we are paying for the problem and the solution,&#8221; Price said. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t complicated; even my six-year old niece knows candy and soda are unhealthy. You don&#8217;t need a masters degree to know they have no place in a nutrition program.”
SNAP is a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$124 billion-a-year program</a> that allows poor people to buy virtually any edible item with the exception, in most cases, of restaurant meals. Food stamps are even accepted at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/food-stamps-accepted-at-thousands-of-liquor-and-tobacco-stores-contributing-to-healthcare-fiasco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thousands of liquor or tobacco stores</a>, in case someone wants to pick up a Mountain Dew to chase their vodka or a bag of Skittles to go with their cigarettes.
Politicians from both parties have periodically noted the absurdity of including taxpayer-funded soda and candy in a nutrition program, with states like New York attempting to block soda. But SNAP is a federal program, and the feds have refused to allow states waivers allowing them to do so, even as pilot programs.
Now a coalition is forming between Make America Healthy Again advocates and Department of Government Efficiency proponents. Liberals have said DOGE will fail to balance the budget because such a large portion of federal spending is tied up in Medicare and Medicaid. But reducing obesity by improving diets among the poor could drastically decrease Medicaid spending relating to issues like diabetes.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who is from Texas, is expected to grant waivers to states who ask, and Arkansas has said it will do so. The change could also be nationwide; <a href="https://brecheen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Rubio introduced such a bill</a> in the Senate in 2023.
Roy Lenardson of the Foundation for Government Accountability testified in support of the bill at the Texas hearing.
“How is it going with our health in this country? If 42% of adults and 20% of kids are obese&#8230;and obesity has tripled since the 1960s&#8230;it&#8217;s not going great.&#8221; He told The Daily Wire that even Sonny Purdue, the agriculture secretary during Trump’s first term, blocked Maine’s request to exclude soda from the welfare program, and that special interests fight hard to keep the spigots of taxpayer money flowing for soda and candy.
<div id="attachment_842733" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-842733" class="size-large wp-image-842733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-1024x556.png" alt="Antioch Tobacco &amp; Beer in Antioch, Tennessee / Google" width="1024" height="556" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-1024x556.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-300x163.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-768x417.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-1536x833.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-beer-2048x1111.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Antioch Tobacco &amp; Beer in Antioch, Tennessee / Google</div>
He said such funding could explain the American Heart Association testimony, noting that it has received more than a <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/founders-day/second-century-campaign-donors">million dollars</a> each from Walmart, Pfizer, and Novo Nordisk — the maker of obesity drug Ozempic — and that <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/company-collaboration/food-system-strategy/aha-industry-nutrition-forum/industry-nutrition-forum-members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PepsiCo pays it</a> to be part of its Industry Nutrition Forum.
&#8220;Voters put the MAHA movement’s hands on the levers of power, and the taxpayer-funded junk food cartel is sweating bullets,&#8221; Lenardson said.
The American Beverage Association, the industry group for soda manufacturers, is mounting a nationwide media offensive that attempts to persuade Republican lawmakers against reforms to the program. The industry group is attempting to cast the ability to buy taxpayer-funded junk food as an issue of liberty.
The ad campaign, called &#8220;<a href="https://yourcartyourchoice.com/about/">Your Cart, Your Choice</a>,&#8221; is spearheaded by the soda group in partnership with the National Confectioners Association, which represents candy manufacturers, and the Corn Refiners Association, which profits from high-fructose corn syrup.
“Restricting what one segment of the population can buy at the grocery store just because they need temporary government assistance goes against American values. These proposals treat families <a href="https://yourcartyourchoice.com/oppose-restrictions-on-snap-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and veterans</a> as second-class citizens,” it says. “REJECT these so-called ‘reforms’ and take action to protect the freedom of food and beverage choice for all Americans,” it adds on top of an image of an American flag.
Its paid ads on X have been met with uniform derision, with one user responding: “Not your money, not your choice.”
In a statement to The Daily Wire, the group reiterated its liberty-centric argument for not restricting food stamp spending.
“Government meddling in Texans’ grocery carts does nothing to make us healthier and won’t save taxpayers a single dollar, but it will add new layers of red tape and empower government bureaucrats to force their ideas onto your shopping list,” said Americans for Food &amp; Beverage Choice spokeswoman Stacie Rumenap. “The working-class coalition that showed up this past election voted to reject bloated and inefficient government. Politicians should take note.”
The soda lobby is also <a href="https://yourcartyourchoice.com/oppose-restrictions-on-snap-benefits/?utm_source=x&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=social_x_social_20250312_E_no_1_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoting unusual op-eds in conservative media</a> that try to convince free-market conservatives to rally around taxpayer-funded junk food.
Newsmax published one such piece, “Keep Bureaucrats’ Hands Out of American’s [sic] Grocery Carts – Please.” It was authored by Tom Giovanetti of the Institute for Policy Innovation, which, according to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?page=3&amp;q=%22Institute+for+Policy+Innovation%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax records</a>, is funded by PhRMA, whose members profit from treating the unhealthy

Alec Puente / Texas Senate

American Heart Association Retracts Opposition To Barring Soda, Candy From Food Stamps

Food Stamps

Health

Texas

Welfare

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said this week that Americans who are receiving food stamps may soon be banned from using them to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchase junk food</a>.
Rollins made the remarks while answering questions from reporters outside the White House on Friday about working with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reform the SNAP program.
&#8220;I look forward to working with Bobby Kennedy as we figure out, do we have the healthiest choices?&#8221; she said. &#8220;So when a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are they okay with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious?&#8221;
She said that she looked forward to working with DOGE to see where the SNAP program is wasting money and if it is meeting the metrics required to hit its goals.
&#8220;Oftentimes, these government programs are started with the idea that you&#8217;re going to help people — it&#8217;s not a handout, it&#8217;s a hand up — and then years later, the programs are even bigger, and you&#8217;ve got more people on them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And are we really giving people a hand up, or is it instead a handout? So if we can have a whole other group of really smart people looking at SNAP and other programs at USDA, that will allow us to ensure, what are our metrics for success? Are we meeting those metrics for success?&#8221;
&#8220;Will we ever take food out of a hungry child&#8217;s mouth? Of course not. This is the United States of America,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;But truly, this program has grown so large, especially in the last administration. Under Biden, I think SNAP, grew almost 30% more than before.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://dailywire.com/subscribe" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7935">PRESIDENTS’ DAY SALE! 40% Off DailyWire+ Annual Memberships With Code DW40</a>
According to the USDA, more than 42 million people received SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2023, costing the country well over $110 billion per year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins welcomes RFK Jr.’s help reforming SNAP to cut “bad food and sugary drinks”
“When a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are they okay with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who need something more… <a href="https://t.co/nFeooY3fkM">pic.twitter.com/nFeooY3fkM</a>
— American Values 🗽 (@AVPac_US) <a href="https://twitter.com/AVPac_US/status/1890865937936711863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

US-Secretary-of-Agriculture-Press-Conference

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Suggests RFK Jr. Could Ban Food Stamps Being Used On Junk Food

Economy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Nearly 5,000 stores with words related to “liquor” or “tobacco” in their names accept food stamps, a Daily Wire review of government data found.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the food stamp program, currently allows more than 3,700 stores with “liquor,” “beer,” “wine,” or “spirits” in their names to accept food stamps. Food stamps aren’t allowed to be used for alcohol, but they can be used for nearly anything edible, so the stores are allowed to accept them on the idea that someone might want to buy snacks, such as a bag of chips, at the liquor store. Such stores are highly unlikely to sell much healthy food, and the snacks they sell are likely ultra-processed junk food sold in small quantities at a very high markup.
The findings highlight how the $113 billion Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) often contributes to making people less healthy. Democrat and Republican governors alike have signaled support for reforming SNAP to block junk food in order to deal with persistent problems regarding health — or, as Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-governor-calls-incoming-trump-141200605.html">put it</a>, “Make America Healthy Again.”
Junk food and soda are permitted expenditures with SNAP, and soda is the number one most-purchased item. While alcohol and tobacco aren&#8217;t, the USDA essentially has to rely on store owners&#8217; honesty when reporting what was actually rung up. Selling ineligible products, or trading food stamps for cash, is unlikely to happen at major grocery chains, but far more likely to happen at inner-city liquor stores.
The stores include Bottles Liquor in Oakland, whose windows advertise luxury alcohols like Patron.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842769 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles-1024x509.png" alt="" width="1024" height="509" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles-1024x509.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles-300x149.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles-768x381.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles-1536x763.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/bottles.png 1756w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Or a store in Detroit with a sign that simply says LIQUOR, where signs advertise various beers, lottery machines, and the fact that people can access Bitcoin, a favorite for illicit transactions, there.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842773 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/detroit-959x576.png" alt="" width="959" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/detroit-959x576.png 959w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/detroit-300x180.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/detroit-768x461.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/detroit.png 1502w" sizes=" (max-width: 959px) 100vw, 959px" /></div>
Residents of Antioch, Tennessee who want to use a taxpayer-funded nutrition program at a store dedicated to harming both livers and lungs can check out Antioch Tobacco &amp; Beer, where signs advertise Bud Light, Sonoma Cigarettes, Rockstar energy drinks, and the fact that EBT — the debit card that holds food stamps — is accepted.
The federal government has ensured that SNAP can be spent at about 1,000 stores whose names contain “tobacco,” “smoke,” “cigar,” or “vape.” Those enjoying Reno, Nevada’s vices can spend their government benefits at Stay High Liquor &amp; Smoke.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842737 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high-766x576.png" alt="" width="766" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high-766x576.png 766w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high-300x226.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high-768x577.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high-1536x1155.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/stay-high.png 1990w" sizes=" (max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px" /></div>
Phoenix residents who anticipate that after buying a blunt wrap, they might want a bag of Funyuns can check out “Cell Repair – Smoke &amp; Vape Shop,” where you can buy cannabis products and where the “EBT SNAP CARDS ACCEPTED HERE” sign is larger than the name of the store itself.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842777 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/smoke-vape-773x576.png" alt="" width="773" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/smoke-vape-773x576.png 773w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/smoke-vape-300x224.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/smoke-vape-768x572.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/smoke-vape.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px" /></div>
Tobacco Depot in Stockton, California focuses its advertising on the fact that you can buy both cigarettes and glass pipes used for drugs, as well as that the store does “accept E.B.T.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842813 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1-577x576.png" alt="" width="577" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1-577x576.png 577w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1-768x766.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/tobacco-depot-1.png 790w" sizes=" (max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px" /></div>
In Huntington, Indiana, I Puff Discount Tobacco contains a marijuana leaf in its window and accepts EBT, perhaps for those who want to pick up a Mountain Dew if whatever they’re smoking dries out their mouth.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-842791 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/ipuff-1006x576.png" alt="" width="1006" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/ipuff-1006x576.png 1006w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/ipuff-300x172.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/ipuff-768x440.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/ipuff.png 1338w" sizes=" (max-width: 1006px) 100vw, 1006px" /></div>
On top of the 5,000 liquor and smoke shops, welfare beneficiaries — who are more likely than the general population to be obese — can spend their taxpayer-funded nutrition dollars at candy stores, like Angie’s Candy Store in Milwaukee.
Nearly 200 firms with &#8220;liquor&#8221; in the name have been found to have defrauded the food stamp program in recent years. <a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/fad-crains-ice-cream-liquor-c0201168.pdf">Crain&#8217;s Ice Cream &amp; Liquor</a> took food stamps, until the government was surprised to learn that it wasn&#8217;t a bona fide source of nutrition, instead finding &#8220;irregular transactions&#8221; of hundreds of dollars making &#8220;the case of trafficking&#8230; convincing.&#8221; Its receipts did not even indicate whether the items purchased were food or not.
Since 2017, 51 stores with the name &#8220;tobacco&#8221; in their name have been found to have committed fraud, according to <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-sanctions-final-agency-decisions-fads?title=tobacco&amp;field_fiscal_year_value=&amp;order=field_fad_date&amp;sort=desc">USDA data</a>.
For example, inspectors visited <a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/FAD-AmigosTobaccoShop-C0242309.pdf">Amigos Tobacco Shop</a> in Greenville, North Carolina three times, and all three times they observed food stamps being accepted for non-food items, presumably tobacco, by multiple clerks. The store was barred from accepting food stamps for six months, although the punishment was postponed because the store owner appealed, complaining that SNAP was &#8220;very important&#8221; to his tobacco store&#8217;s income stream.
<a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/fad-t-j-cell-tobacco-c0224383.pdf">T&amp;J Cell &amp; Tobacco</a> in Milwaukee was authorized to take food stamps even though there are more than 90 stores within a two-mile radius, including supermarkets, that sell wide selections of food and accept the benefit. USDA investigators found that it was ringing up unusually high-dollar transactions, even though it offered &#8220;mainly snacks foods and beverages.&#8221; It banned the store for &#8220;trafficking&#8221; food stamps, which is when a clerk rings up fake products and gives half the amount to the customer in cash.
When inspectors visited <a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/fad-manchester-tobacco-outlet-C0208524.pdf">Manchester Tobacco Outlet</a> in Manchester, Tennessee, it didn&#8217;t even have a selection of staple foods for sale, which the owner said was because &#8220;we ran out of goods.&#8221; <a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/fad-os-pipe-tobacco-C0201725.pdf">Os Pipe &amp; Tobacco</a> of Denver was eligible to accept food stamps, until the government realized its owner was a convicted drug dealer.
<a href="https://dam-fns.usda.gov/media/FNS/fad-liquor-beer-tobacco-outlet-C0197734.pdf">Liquor Beer &amp; Tobacco Outlet</a> in Charles City, Iowa, was allowed to accept food stamps. Investigators found it was ringing up high-dollar transactions even though it only sold small items like snacks and didn&#8217;t even have shopping baskets, leading them to conclude that it was simply laundering food stamps for cash.
&#8220;It is not plausible that the firm&#8217;s customers would carry large amount of merchandise around the store without the benefit of shopping carts or baskets or that customers would routinely do the bulk of their grocery purchases at a moderately-stocked convenience store rather than a nearby superstore or supermarket with significantly more inventory and lower prices,&#8221; investigators wrote.
On December 6, The Daily Wire laid out the case for how <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">SNAP could be replaced</a> by a system that purchased healthy food in bulk from farmers, and sent them to needy people upon request. That could save money not just on SNAP itself, but on the Medicaid costs associated with obesity.
On Wednesday, Gov. Sanders <a href="https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/governor-sanders-calls-for-reforms-to-the-snap-program/">wrote</a> to Robert F. Kennedy, President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, and Brooke Rollins, his Agriculture nominee, that reforming SNAP could be part of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
&#8220;Unfortunately, this &#8216;Nutrition Assistance&#8217; program is undermining the health of millions of Americans, on the taxpayer’s dime, by encouraging families to eat highly processed, unhealthy junk food,&#8221; Sanders wrote. She said soda, unhealthy snacks, and candy make up a large portion of SNAP purchases, which is harming her state, where 40% of residents are obese and one-third have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
She noted that a Stanford study by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trump&#8217;s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health, &#8220;estimated that prohibiting sugary drinks and soda from SNAP would prevent obesity in 141,000 kids and Type 2 diabetes in 240,000 adults. Since joint state and federal healthcare spending is quickly approaching $2 trillion each year, we should embrace commonsense, preventative healthcare policies.&#8221;
Sanders also said shifting the program to healthy, homegrown food would also support farmers, and said she would seek a waiver from SNAP to steer the program towards healthy foods in her state. In previous administrations, the federal government has refused to give states waivers blocking junk food, including New York, which wanted to ban soda.
On X, Jared Polis, the Democrat governor of Colorado, echoed his <a href="https://x.com/GovofCO/status/1866903155495079983">support</a>, saying, &#8220;Prioritizing healthy, fresh foods over junk food and soda will reduce the risk of having future health issues such as diabetes and cavities.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

Antioch Tobacco & Beer in Antioch, Tennessee / Google

Food Stamps Accepted At Thousands Of Liquor And Tobacco Stores, Contributing To Healthcare Fiasco

Department of Health and Human Services

Obesity

This is the first in a Daily Wire series about major government programs that could be reformed under the Trump administration.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays farmers not to grow food, while at the same time spending most of its budget giving “food stamps” to people who can use them to buy candy, soda, and snacks — at giant retail markups — in corner stores and elsewhere.
The food stamp program has exploded, from $56 billion in redemptions in fiscal 2019 to <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/data-research/data-visualization/snap-retailer-management-dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$124 billion</a> in 2023. Perhaps not coincidentally, many on food stamps are more likely to be obese with related health conditions, and then be treated at taxpayer expense by Medicaid.
The current program is so inefficient that by USDA’s own estimates, it pays out $1 billion a month in food stamps to people who aren’t eligible, leading the Biden administration to call for <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/fns-005.24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“urgent”</a> reforms. Twenty percent of food stamp payouts in the District of Columbia, and close to 23% in South Carolina, are <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-fy23-qc-payment-error-rate.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erroneous</a>. That’s a separate issue from fraud, which occurs when stores agree to trade food stamps for cash. The tens of billions of dollars spent on unhealthy food counts as neither waste nor fraud: it’s fully permitted.
Dramatically overhauling the food stamp program so that only healthy food can be bought could go beyond saving money. In a country facing an <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/farm-bill-2023-obesity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obesity crisis</a>, it could help make America healthy again.
A <a href="https://www.foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased_16.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 study</a> conducted by a contractor for USDA found that soda was the top item purchased with food stamps. That study likely significantly understated junk-food rates, because USDA refuses to disclose data on which products food stamps are spent on even though it can be tracked. The contractor found a workaround by getting data from a large grocery chain.
The money saved from reforming SNAP would only be the start of the benefits to taxpayers. A 2018 <a href="https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1042&amp;context=jflp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from the Journal of Food Law &amp; Policy found that “medical costs associated with obesity (which largely fall on Medicare and Medicaid) are estimated to be at least $147 billion per year.” Some people who become obese through food stamps also end up on taxpayer-funded disability programs as a result. This month, the White House <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/white-house-proposes-big-expansion-of-medicare-medicaid-coverage-of-obesity-drugs-f151c9c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> covering weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, which can cost $1,600 a month, for Medicaid recipients. The government would be paying both for junk food that makes people fat, and a lifetime prescription to try to take the fat off.
The food stamp program is officially called the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and letting people use the credits on almost any edible item, no matter its nutritional value, has never been consistent with that intent. Even some Democrat-run states have recognized that, with states such as New York trying to make soda ineligible for food stamps. The federal government forbade them from even conducting pilot programs to test whether it would be beneficial. USDA, the Harvard study said, fretted that beneficiaries would be “stigmatized” if they couldn’t buy soda.
Of course, the argument that billions of taxpayer dollars should be used to make vulnerable poor people obese doesn&#8217;t come from the impoverished. It likely comes from corporate lobbyists for whom SNAP is big business. Soda manufacturers, convenience stores, and candy trade associations have all lobbied to keep junk food SNAP-eligible. They say it’s only <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120628000810/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/24/top-secret-what-food-stamps-buy/?page=all#pagebreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“anecdotal”</a> that SNAP is often spent on sweets, leaning on the fact that USDA conceals what items are purchased.
USDA fought all the way to the <a href="https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2019/06/in-foia-decision-supreme-court-rules-that-food-stamp-data-is-confidential/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> to block journalist requests to see how much taxpayer money is disbursed to each store for SNAP reimbursements. That data could make the biggest launderers of food stamps glaringly obvious because they would be showing far more revenue than similarly-sized corner stores. It would likely also show what a bonanza the SNAP program is for politically-connected corporations like Walmart.
Yet when USDA asked retailers for <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2385494/those-at-the-front-lines-of-junk-food-food-stamp-purchases-rail-at-usda-secrecy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feedback</a> on whether it should keep hiding data about how food stamps are spent, on the logic that it was a “trade secret,” small retailers and clerks replied that, day after day, they saw people ring up taxpayer-paid junk food, and they thought the public should know about it. One retailer said, “I have customers come in and buy candy, sodas, and energy drinks with their EBT/SNAP cards. I personally don’t believe that that should be allowed since it is not considered a necessity.” A public health dietician wrote, “I find that SNAP funds are spent on unhealthy food choices, which is compounding our nation’s health problems… I suspect the retailers are part of the problem. We need to figure this out so that all of our citizens have access to healthy food choices.”
More than a decade ago, this reporter spent weeks <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/7/violations-dont-deter-food-stamp-vendors-hunger-fo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touring stores</a> on the District of Columbia’s list of SNAP-eligible retailers. SNAP requires retailers to have a few healthy foods available, and while many of the stores had a few old vegetables lying around, the typical food stamp transaction was more likely to involve junk food like 20-ounce bottles of Mountain Dew and Kit-Kat bars.
Some of the stores openly engaged in criminal activity, selling individual “loosie” cigarettes, for cash. They plainly catered to criminals, selling glass “roses” used to smoke crack. One made room in its limited inventory for a selection of black ski masks—the types used in robberies—in the heat of summer.
SNAP inherently relies on the honesty of these stores to tell it how much business they did in food stamp dollars, then writes them a check. It is trivial for them to “launder” food stamps into cash, giving half the money to the customer and pocketing the other half, by ringing up ghost products. The SNAP bureaucracy seems to have been crafted precisely to make such fraud difficult to stop. The federal government puts the states in charge of doling out SNAP money, while retail anti-fraud enforcement is reserved for the feds, and there are only some 100 investigators to police a <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/data-research/data-visualization/snap-retailer-management-dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quarter-million</a> SNAP retailers across the country.
Even so, about one in twenty stores was caught for fraud within a seven-year period. One in three stores that was supposedly banned from accepting food stamps, was still accepting them. Some seemed to have simply “sold” the store — on paper, at least — to an associate to evade consequences. A store called Tobaccosville was among SNAP-eligible stores, until it was busted for fraud. It rebranded as Tobacco City and kept accepting them. Others just ignored infractions because the sanctions were toothless. Last year, Democrats introduced a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1427" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> that would make it even easier for corporations to engage in food stamp laundering to keep operating, called the SNAP Second Chance Act.
Even if it made sense for taxpayers to pay for food at marked-up, retail prices instead of finding economies of scale by buying in bulk, SNAP is duplicative. Women and children can already buy healthy food at stores through the Women and Children (WIC) program, and school-aged children get free breakfast and lunch at school in many states.
Replacing food stamps with a program that buys nutritious commodities from farmers in bulk, allows impoverished people to select what they’d like off a menu, and mails it to them — not unlike high-end meal services such as Blue Apron — is one big-ticket idea that could be considered by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The time is right for Congress to dramatically reassess how America ensures that its poor are healthy. Food stamps are authorized by the “Farm Bill,” which ordinarily comes up for renewal every five years. But Congress wasn’t able to agree on a full five-year bill in 2023. After a <a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/10/02/delayed-farm-bill-punted-until-after-election-with-congress-stuck-on-how-to-pay-for-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">short-term extension</a>, the incoming Congress and administration will have an opportunity to start from scratch next year.
Part 2: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/food-stamps-accepted-at-thousands-of-liquor-and-tobacco-stores-contributing-to-healthcare-fiasco">Food Stamps Accepted At Thousands Of Liquor And Tobacco Stores, Contributing To Healthcare Fiasco</a>

Overweight caucasian teenage boy with a bottle of cola

Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA

Budget

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

The US presidential <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">election</a> is shaping up to be one of the most “heartland” themed campaigns in recent history. Donald Trump’s VP selection of Ohio Senator JD Vance checked the Rust Belt box for Republicans, and Democrat Kamala Harris countered with her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. 
With camo hat always on hand, Walz’s political brand is tied to his <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91168539/tim-walzs-first-job-was-working-on-a-farm">first job</a> working on the family farm in Nebraska. Farmers across Minnesota are <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/08/06/minnesota-farmers-union-president-stalled-farm-bill-weather-extremes-walz-veepstakes">abuzz</a> about Walz&#8217;s agriculture record both as a congressman and as governor, and it’s mixed. Walz speaks the language of Minnesota farmers but shares the sentiments of California and European progressives when it comes to food and environmental policy.
Environmentalist groups like Greenpeace and Pesticide Action Network have never had potential allies in the White House quite as aligned as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Walz’s record indicates he would entertain the kind of utopian visions that have guided the European Union on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dutch-farmers-spread-manure-on-streets-as-new-emissions-rules-threaten-to-close-down-livestock-farms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policies</a> such as gas taxes on farm equipment and sweeping pesticide bans. The same policies which sparked massive <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/here-s-why-farmers-are-protesting-in-europe/7494997.html">farmer protests across Europe and Canada</a>.
As recently as July, Walz announced $200 million from the EPA to flow into Minnesota for the advancement of “Climate-Smart Food Systems”, meaning the replacement of gas-powered farm vehicles, new standards around refrigerators, and soil practices. Several years back, Governor Walz <a href="https://www.farmforum.net/story/news/agriculture/2016/08/18/minnesota-rep-tim-walz-visits-organic-farm-listens-to-concerns-of-organic-farmers/49239667/">visited organic farms</a> in Minnesota to give voice to their concerns about pesticides, saying “There’s still more we can do to make things easier for organic farmers.”
What did those organic farmers want? Nothing related specifically to their operations, but instead a total ban on aerial pesticides used by conventional farms statewide, which they claim travels by air and impacts all farms. Walz’s position was, “We need to build coalitions with the public and fellow politicians and get them on board with this stuff.”
Americans have been fortunate, as these progressive experiments in rolling back high-yield farming have not hit the political mainstream. That could soon change. 
The European Union <a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/02/06/von-der-leyen-announces-withdrawal-of-contentious-pesticide-law-the-first-defeat-of-the-gr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandoned</a> its own attempts to boost organic farming after the farmer protests, learning over many years that its rules and regulations led to a less productive and more expensive food system for consumers.
But you’ll find that no EU member state has endured a famine, and that’s the result of Europe’s trademark caution and incrementalism. Nations that have been inspired by Europe’s failed policies but lack their bureaucratic restraint have seen actual starvation when modern farming systems were upended.
The case of Sri Lanka, a small island off the coast of India, is only the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sri-lankas-president-flees-the-country-amid-mass-uprising" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent example</a>. Until 2019, Sri Lanka had been the planet’s top tourism spot for a decade, but regulatory change in agriculture <a href="https://www.wfp.org/news/food-crisis-sri-lanka-likely-worsen-amid-poor-agricultural-production-price-spikes-and-ongoing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threw it back</a> into the ‘dark ages’.
All it took was seriously implementing the ideas of progressive environmentalists and food production critics.
In Sri Lanka&#8217;s 2019 election, now former-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised a 10-year transition away from conventional farming practices to “organic agriculture”. It was on the advice of an Indian environmentalist, Vandana Shiva, that Rajapaska believed chemical fertilizers and pesticides needed to be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/apr/28/fighting-giants-eco-activist-vandana-shiva-on-her-battle-against-gm-multinationals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlawed</a>. Shiva cared little for the steady gains in agricultural productivity in Sri Lanka in the 21st century.
During COVID, President Rajapaska banned all imports of chemical fertilizer and pesticides, effectively forcing two million farmers to go organic. The plans have since been abandoned but still created a devastating ripple that has yet to be undone.
Sri Lanka&#8217;s domestic rice production <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/05/sri-lanka-organic-farming-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has dropped</a> by 20% due to the lower agricultural output of organic farming compared to conventional methods, despite political promises. Food prices rose by a third. Tea production, a crucial domestic and export commodity, decreased by 50%, as foreign consumers were unwilling to pay premiums. Nine out of every 10 Sri Lankan families were reported to have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-china-india-asia-c9a49428e9bad5c0bb087534c0d310f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skipped meals</a> and waited for days at a time in lines for fuel.
Rubber and coconut producers faced similar challenges, as obtaining imports on short notice proved nearly impossible despite the lifting of the ban on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Half a million individuals fell back into poverty after decades of real progress. Sri Lanka has been left to rely on foreign food assistance from neighboring India. On top of all that, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62104268" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protestors in 2022 stormed</a> the Prime Minister&#8217;s office and the President&#8217;s residence, forcing the government to resign in disgrace.
Sri Lanka still grapples with grinding inflation due to the devaluation of its currency. As of <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/3/22/economic-conditions-in-debt-stricken-sri-lanka-improving-imf-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March,</a> inflation sat at 5.9%, down from a peak of 70% in 2022. The island country has seen an <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/6/20/fed-up-doctor-exodus-bleeds-sri-lankas-healthcare-after-economic-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exodus</a> of doctors as well as parents being forced to pick <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64158513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which of their children can attend school</a>. All ripple effects of a deep economic crisis that has hobbled the country, stemming from the all-in pursuit of progressive’s food production agenda.
None of this is to say that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris are going to bring famine and pestilence to the United States, but should emphasize that the food systems Americans take for granted are indeed fragile. Ideological reformers have persuaded many of America’s trade partners to pursue the kinds of policies that have broken nations, starved families, and produced massive political blowback from hardworking farmers.
Food systems are fragile, and both Kamala Harris and Governor Walz should be asked tough questions about these global farming trends, as well as their records while in office. Walz has more farming knowledge than any presidential or vice presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter, but Americans need to know where he really stands on these debates. It can be a matter of life and death.
* * *
Bill Wirtz is senior policy analyst at the Consumer Choice Center, where he focuses on agriculture and trade. He has published “No Copy-paste: What Not to Emulate From Europe’s Agriculture Regulation.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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