Staff Reports
Americans woke up to another ugly episode of federal overreach when the Department of Agriculture quietly demanded that states hand over Social Security numbers, addresses and even citizenship data for millions of SNAP beneficiaries — a data dragnet that smells more like political theater than careful stewardship of taxpayers’ information. This bureaucratic fishing expedition was framed as rooting out fraud, but it bulldozes privacy and hands a powerful central database to an administration that has already shown a willingness to misuse data for partisan aims. The headline-grabbing slogans on social feeds — like the claim that “59 percent of welfare recipients are obese illegal immigrants” — are dishonest distortions of dry government numbers, but they also distract from a real problem: the program is leaking billions and needs accountability.
The facts on improper payments are stark and troubling on their own: the federal government estimates that SNAP’s improper payment rate climbed to roughly 11.7 percent in fiscal year 2023, costing taxpayers more than $10 billion that year alone. That figure comes from the same oversight bodies conservatives trust to call out waste, yet Washington’s answer has been to centralize sensitive records instead of fixing the root causes of the leakage. If Washington wants to earn public trust, it should fix the program first and stop using raw data as a blunt instrument to score headlines.
At the same time, the administration’s own documents show the fearmongering about vast swaths of ineligible immigrants stealing benefits doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. USDA data reviewers make clear that only a sliver of improper payments are tied to citizenship eligibility determinations — the overwhelming majority of errors stem from paperwork, administrative mistakes and system weaknesses rather than an army of undocumented people living off SNAP. And the oft-misused “59 percent” number actually refers to participation among eligible children living with noncitizen adults in a particular subgroup, not to some 59-percent claim about “obese illegal” recipients. Conservatives should call out media distortion while insisting illegal receipt of benefits be stopped through lawful means.
That does not mean the problem is trivial. Independent analysts and watchdogs have documented a steady rise in SNAP improper payments and trafficking that threaten the integrity of the program and the dignity of hardworking taxpayers who fund it. Reform-minded conservatives have every right to be furious: billions are slipping through the cracks while Washington punts responsibility or invents PR stunts. The proper response is tough, targeted fixes — not broad, privacy-busting data squeezes that could harm citizens and lawful immigrants who legitimately rely on assistance.
Common-sense reforms would deliver far more bang for the buck than this data grab. GAO and policy experts point to better analytics, stronger state-level quality control, stiffer penalties for retailer trafficking, clearer program rules and improved staff training as practical ways to reduce improper payments without weaponizing personal information. Most of the improper payments are human or process errors that can be remedied with oversight and incentives; conservatives should push Congress to fund integrity improvements and hold state and federal officials to account.
At the same time, conservatives must not cede the moral and political high ground by tolerating sloppy enforcement of immigration eligibility rules. If people are in the country unlawfully and receiving benefits, enforce the law — but do it transparently, legally, and with respect for privacy and due process. Washington’s pattern of making sweeping announcements and then chasing headlines instead of outcomes must end; if the administration is serious about program integrity, it will work with states and Congress on measured reforms instead of leaking data and stoking division.
The bottom line is simple: hardworking Americans deserve a government that stops wasting their money, secures the border, and respects privacy. Conservatives should lead that fight with facts, not hysteria — expose the fraud and the malingering bureaucracy, demand honest numbers and targeted fixes, and insist that any effort to verify eligibility protects innocent families while removing benefits from those who break the law. This is about accountability, not virtue signaling, and it’s time Republicans in Washington act like it.
