The federal government should exclude fast-food restaurants from accepting SNAP benefits, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said Wednesday on Newsmax, pointing to what she described as hundreds of millions of dollars in spending at drive-thru chains in just nine states over the last two years.
"During the Biden era, they did expand those SNAP benefits to allow for fast-food restaurants," Ernst told "National Report," saying a review found "nine states that used $524 million exclusively at fast-food restaurants" in just two years, including "$475 million of that" in California.
Ernst, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, framed her push as a return to the program's intended purpose.
"What I want to say is that when we're providing those SNAP benefits to those needy families, that they are actually using those dollars on nutrient-dense foods, and we know that we're not going to find that at a fast-food restaurant," she said.
Her comments followed a statement she issued criticizing the spending and calling for changes to how benefits can be used.
In the statement, Ernst said, "The 'N' in SNAP stands for nutrition, not nuggets with a side of fries," and added, "I wish I was McRibbing you, but $250 million per year at the drive-thru is no joke and a serious waste of tax dollars."
Ernst also said she welcomes a tougher stance backed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, as stronger oversight would redirect resources to those most in need.
Rollins said during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting that the USDA asked states earlier this year to turn over program data, so the federal government could partner with states "to root out this fraud."
However, 21 states, including California, New York, and Minnesota, had declined, leading Rollins to later post on X, "No data, no money."
"For Brooke Rollins, our agricultural secretary, to root out that fraud, waste, and abuse, it means that the dollars that should be going to those families truly in need will go to those families that truly do need it," Ernst said.
"But transparency is the best way to make sure you're securing those dollars for those that need it," she added.
However, politics could slow progress in rooting out abuse of the SNAP system, said Ernst.
Asked about support for tightening eligibility and enforcement, Ernst said some lawmakers see the issue as reasonable but suggested politics "will interject its ugly face into this debate."
Still, she urged colleagues to agree that the program should not be vulnerable to improper payments.
"Let's be reasonable about it," Ernst said. "Let's make sure that fraud, waste, and abuse are not taking away from the families that really do need these benefits."
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