@bmckib

Sr Director of Policy @hope4college. Former @HELPCmteDems @CCTrustees @EdWorkforceDems @WAStudents. Alum @UW @Kennedy_School @trumanapp. He/him 🏳️‍🌈

 Seattle, WA
linkedin.com/in/bmckib
Joined January 2011
  • Tweets12.8K
  • Following3.3K
  • Followers4K
Bryce McKibben retweeted
Katie Bergh@Katie_BerghOct 13
Criminals have been exploiting outdated EBT card technology to steal SNAP benefits from unsuspecting low-income families. Since December 2024, the victims of this theft have had no recourse & federal action to prevent it has largely stalled — for a deeply infuriating reason:
The main thing Congress has done about SNAP theft is to abandon a previous effort to help victims. The federal government had, since late 2022, been replacing people’s stolen funds, just as banks are required to do if your debit card is hacked. As a result, 753,929 households were compensated. In December 2024, a bipartisan spending agreement that included a provision to extend these reimbursements through 2028 was on the brink of becoming law. But Elon Musk, who had been named a leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency, attacked the legislation more than 100 times on X, pushing to “defund everything.” (Musk did not reply to a request for comment.) Trump then sank the deal. Victims of SNAP theft can no longer get any of their benefits replaced. And with the government off the hook for losses, there is now less incentive to put money into the solution.

ALT The main thing Congress has done about SNAP theft is to abandon a previous effort to help victims. The federal government had, since late 2022, been replacing people’s stolen funds, just as banks are required to do if your debit card is hacked. As a result, 753,929 households were compensated. In December 2024, a bipartisan spending agreement that included a provision to extend these reimbursements through 2028 was on the brink of becoming law. But Elon Musk, who had been named a leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency, attacked the legislation more than 100 times on X, pushing to “defund everything.” (Musk did not reply to a request for comment.) Trump then sank the deal. Victims of SNAP theft can no longer get any of their benefits replaced. And with the government off the hook for losses, there is now less incentive to put money into the solution.

ProPublica
@propublicaOct 13
New: Fraudsters stole $470 million last year from Americans who need help paying for food. Adopting the same microchip that credit cards have had for years would prevent most of the theft, but Congress won’t pay for it. propub.li/4dCgOc8

Scammers Are Stealing Millions From Food Stamp Recipients. Congress Could Fix It — but Won’t.

Fraudsters stole $470 million last year from Americans who need help paying for food. Adopting the same microchip that credit cards have had for years would prevent most of the theft, but Congress...

propublica.org
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A wave of student loan borrowers is about to encounter the financial equivalent of a warm bath followed by a cold plunge. "[This] basically forces people to trade student loan debt for debt to the IRS & really cuts against everything IDR is supposed to be about,"- @jennzhang_.
Screenshot of referenced article from U.S> News & World Report by Greg Garrison, "In the coming years, a wave of student loan borrowers are about to encounter the financial equivalent of a warm bath followed by a cold plunge."

ALT Screenshot of referenced article from U.S> News & World Report by Greg Garrison, "In the coming years, a wave of student loan borrowers are about to encounter the financial equivalent of a warm bath followed by a cold plunge."

Student loan forgiveness may be taxed as income, leaving borrowers with $6k–$12k tax bills and 2–3 million people affected.

ALT Student loan forgiveness may be taxed as income, leaving borrowers with $6k–$12k tax bills and 2–3 million people affected.

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I met Jazmyn at San Bernardino Valley College, and her story about not being able to use SNAP benefits on campus inspired me to write legislation to address that issue. So - I hope you will share your thoughts and ideas too. Hearing your experience helps me to craft a meaningful policy response.
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How is SNAP participation changing across the country? FRAC’s SNAP Participation Dashboard compiles the latest USDA data to track changes in enrollment and identify where declines are occurring most sharply. Explore the data: frac.org/snap-participation-…
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
NASFAA@nasfaaSep 17
"This is waste. This is fraud. This is abuse." Three former Education Secretaries joined the union representing Department of Education employees in calling for an investigation into the financial impact of the department's reduction in force: ow.ly/g6qa50ZOPo2
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Bobby Kogan@BBKoganJul 21
Wow. The SNAP cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill — already estimated at the time to be the biggest in history — are turning out to be far, far, far deeper than expected (no shade at CBO, cost estimates are hard). We’re witnessing the beginning of a hunger crisis in America.
Katie Bergh@Katie_BerghJul 21
🚨NEW: In the 9 months after last year’s reconciliation law enacted unprecedented SNAP cuts, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by more than 4.5 million. Based on available data, we estimate that at least 1.5 million fewer kids are receiving SNAP. cbpp.org/research/food-assis…
Graphic showing the change in SNAP participation from July 2024 to April 2026. Between the reconciliation law's enactment in July 2025 and April 2026, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by more than 4.5 million.

ALT Graphic showing the change in SNAP participation from July 2024 to April 2026. Between the reconciliation law's enactment in July 2025 and April 2026, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by more than 4.5 million.

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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Michael Baym@baymJul 16
If I were a malign foreign actor dead set on crippling America’s historic advantage in science and technology (and resultant economic advantage), I genuinely don’t know what I’d do differently than this administration
Andreas Karch
@karch_andreasJul 16
Grad student visas limited to 4-years. Extension possible in principle: dhs.gov/news/2026/07/16/trum… It's impossible to finish a Physics PhD in 4 years. How hard will it be to get an extension? Will any foreigner still come to the US for a science or engineering PhD?

Trump Administration Issues Final Rule to End Foreign Student Visa Abuse | Homeland Security

DHS announced the publication of a final rule that officially eliminates the “duration of status” loophole that allowed foreign students, exchange visitors, and media representatives to remain in the...

dhs.gov
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More colleges offer emergency aid than they did five years ago. And yet the share of students receiving it has fallen from 44% a few years ago, to just 4% today. The safety net isn’t working if students can’t find it, reach it, or get help in time. 🧵
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The House Labor-H appropriations bill—scheduled to be marked up on Tuesday—would close the Pell Grant shortfall in the coming year, and modestly raise the maximum award by $50. But it comes on the back of deep cuts to other vital higher education and student aid programs. (1/2)
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Congress says it’s cracking down on financial aid fraud. But @usedgov says it already has the tools it needs. So what’s the truth? And who pays the price if financial aid is delayed? Once again: Low-income students. Our latest with Mike Gavin: hope.temple.edu/newsroom/hop…

The Hidden Power Grab in “Fraud Prevention”—and the Students Who Will Pay

hope.temple.edu
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Katie Bergh@Katie_BerghApr 24
New USDA data released today: H.R. 1 enacted the deepest SNAP cuts in history last July. By January, more than 3 million fewer people were receiving food assistance. Nationwide, SNAP caseloads fell by more than 8% in just 6 months — despite no improvement in economic conditions.
Change in SNAP participation between January 2024 and January 2026, showing a sharp decline after H.R. 1 enactment in July 2025.

ALT Change in SNAP participation between January 2024 and January 2026, showing a sharp decline after H.R. 1 enactment in July 2025.

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One of the policy areas VP Vance most strongly praised Viktor OrbĂĄn was his repeated attempts to dismantle Hungarian colleges and universities.
Seung Min Kim
@seungminkimApr 12
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 'painful' election result, ending 16 years in power.
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Katie Bergh@Katie_BerghApr 8
Last July, the Republican megabill (H.R. 1) enacted the deepest SNAP cuts in history. Today, we're releasing a tracker of how many people in each state are losing the SNAP benefits they need to afford groceries. cbpp.org/research/food-assis…
Map showing the percentage change in the number of SNAP participants between July 2025 and December 2025 in each state.

ALT Map showing the percentage change in the number of SNAP participants between July 2025 and December 2025 in each state.

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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Anthony Wright@aewrightMar 27
BREAKING: New enrollment data confirms more Americans uninsured and underinsured as a result of deliberate decisions made in the last year. Coverage in the #ACA marketplaces saw their first decrease in 5 years--a 5% drop of 1.2 million Americans. (1/)
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That’s what it costs for about 20 years of universal free community college tuition available to anyone who wants it, fwiw
Jeff Stein
@jstein_sunMar 18
SCOOP: The Pentagon asked the White House today for more than *$200 billion* for the Iran war supplemental, sources say Some White House aides think Congress won't support b/c it's so big Will tee up giant battle in Congress
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We’re hiring a Policy Director to lead our state & federal policy agenda! Looking for someone passionate about student success, equity, and driving real change in higher education. Remote position, DC-area preferred. Priority application deadline: Feb 27. completecollegeadmin.bambooh…
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Congress recently rejected proposed cuts to keep funding intact for Pell, CCAMPIS, campus mental health, & the Basic Needs Grant in FY26. While this is welcome after a year of chaos—inflation, state cuts, & immigration uncertainty still threaten students. 🧵
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Arlen Parsa@arlenparsaJan 25
Renee Good’s killer: 10 year ICE officer Alex Pretti’s killer: 8 year Border Patrol officer We can’t pretend this is all the result of Trump’s sloppy training. The entire agencies are rotten to the core.
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Bryce McKibben retweeted
Cmte for Ed Funding@edfundingJan 16
Urge your Senators & Rep to protect education funding and to reject the Administration’s actions to cut vital education funding and oversight. Call 888-853-7037 to connect to your Members of Congress or use CEF's toolkit: cef.org/advocacy/ #DontFlunktheFuture
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The healthcare crisis that Congress is setting up will directly harm students and college affordability. The damage could be staggering.
The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs@hope4college12 Dec 2025
The “health care cliff” is here. Congress’ failure to extend ACA subsidies could strip health coverage from 1 million students. Students deserve systems that support their health, not undermine it. @bmckib  breaks it down: bit.ly/3KUJYbc⬇️
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