SNAP+TANF policy @MassLawReform. Working to strengthen, expand, and protect critical safety net programs. Opinions my own.
Boston, MA
Joined October 2019
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Vicky Negus retweeted
States are being graded on a high-stakes test they had no way of knowing they were taking. With no time to make real progress, some states are making it much harder for eligible families to access SNAP as they take drastic steps to try to reduce errors & cut costs.
Vicky Negus retweeted
We know that the number of children receiving SNAP has fallen by more than 700,000 since H.R. 1 was enacted last summer because 12 state agencies publicly report the number of kids receiving benefits each month. That's not spin, it's just data.
cbpp.org/blog/sharp-drop-in-…
ALT Table showing the decline in SNAP participation among children since H.R. 1's enactment in July 2025 in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas.
Vicky Negus retweeted
NEW: In just the 12 states with available data, the number of children receiving SNAP has fallen by more than 700,000 since H.R. 1's unprecedented SNAP cuts were enacted last July — despite claims from Republican lawmakers that kids wouldn't lose benefits. cbpp.org/blog/sharp-drop-in-…
Vicky Negus retweeted
TY @BostonGlobe for thoughtful coverage of compassionate work @DTA_Listens staff do every day to help residents put food on the table. As story says, the system is overwhelmed. Now, vulnerable families face unprecedented challenges reaching DTA for help. bostonglobe.com/2026/02/02/m…
Vicky Negus retweeted
"A $10-a-person daily food budget, which the USDA spokesperson mentioned in Thursday’s email, is more than the daily allotment for SNAP."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made waves this week with claims that the Trump administration’s revamped food pyramid leaves plenty of room for Americans to maintain a healthy diet for as little as $3 a meal. wapo.st/3YHNw44
Vicky Negus retweeted
After enacting the deepest #SNAP cuts in history & needlessly disrupting benefits during the shutdown, the Trump Administration is quietly advancing draft regulations to take SNAP away from millions more people – primarily working families with kids, seniors & disabled people.
Vicky Negus retweeted
Aside from the fact that SNAP participants already have to periodically recertify for benefits — usually every 6 or 12 months — SNAP rules also prohibit states from arbitrarily shortening a household's certification period to force them to reapply early.
New: The Trump administration will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits in an effort to crack down on "fraud"
Not yet clear how this differs from current requirements to recertify personal info
politico.com/news/2025/11/14…
Vicky Negus retweeted
As one federal judge noted today, the Trump Administration's approach to SNAP during the shutdown "repeatedly shifted the goalposts for States, each time requiring States to rely on incorrect information not in accordance with the law."
That just about sums it up.
Vicky Negus retweeted
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
Vicky Negus retweeted
The Trump Admin has failed struggling families but MA can act w/ partial funds to reduce hunger, retailers, & ease pressure on emergency food system. We urge Gov Healey & MA legislature to quickly provide partial state funds & ensure applicants get help putting food on the table.
Vicky Negus retweeted
Families are still being left with impossible choices. A 50% partial payment is a “big deal for families who, right now, are getting nothing” - but it is woefully insufficient,” Negus told the Globe. “Families can’t eat retroactively.”
Vicky Negus retweeted
But, distressingly, USDA chose NOT to fund all of November SNAP w/ other $ it has, and applicants won’t get anything. The Trump Admin chose to harm recipients who will only get 50% of typical SNAP (& for many, the 50% will be delayed) & applicants in dire need.
Vicky Negus retweeted
There is no need for deliberation or clarification. The administration is sitting on billions in SNAP contingency funds and must release them. The administration could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to get food to families. Time is ticking ⏲️msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opin…
Vicky Negus retweeted
Punchbowl reports “White House officials determined they do not have the authority” to use contingency reserves —billions of $ that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate— to fund Nov. SNAP benefits. But, that’s not what USDA’s now-deleted shutdown plan says:
Vicky Negus retweeted
This is an unprecedented situation- SNAP benefits have never been delayed due to a federal shutdown. Failure to issue SNAP on time will force residents to skip meals and go hungry, cause immense financial distress, and flood an already stretched thin emergency food system.
Vicky Negus retweeted
Massachusetts has the resources to mitigate the harms of this generationally bad bill - By investing in SNAP + @DTA_Listens's workforce, we can protect families from being incorrectly cut-off and ensure everyone can access food with dignity.
Vicky Negus retweeted
H.R. 1 penalizes states if accuracy suffers due to mistakes- and accuracy suffers when people can’t get the help they need or workers are overwhelmed. H.R 1 also imposes significant work on this already stretched thin system, risking termination for thousands of eligible people.
Vicky Negus retweeted
Since COVID, SNAP caseloads in MA are up 45%, yet DTA staffing hasn’t kept pace. Cases per worker are 50% higher than pre-COVID. 3 of every 4 calls trying to reach a worker for help are blocked because of insufficient staffing.
Vicky Negus retweeted
1 in 6 MA residents put food on the table with SNAP- SNAP accounts for $1 of every $5 spent in grocery stores statewide. SNAP fights hunger & fuels our economy.
Vicky Negus retweeted
Understanding government effectiveness starts with collecting the data. Hard not to see this as the Administration anticipating that they will want to hide the impact of their policy actions from the public.
Congress must act to protect government accountability.
The Administration acknowledged that it will stop the survey that measures food insecurity, just as tariffs push up food prices and the deep cuts to food assistance enacted in July start to take effect. Congress must intervene to save these vital data. wsj.com/economy/trump-admini…
