After Trump Administration Announces Changes to Food Assistance Qualifications, Haaland, Lead Democrats Demand Answers on Impacts to Indian Country

Statement

After the Trump Administration announced changes to food assistance qualifications, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) and leading Democrats sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, demanding answers on the impacts to Indian Country and lack of tribal consultation. Nationwide, an estimated 3.6 million people will not have access to SNAP assistance that they currently qualify for. According to Census Data, one-quarter of Native Americans rely on SNAP to feed their families.

"Of significant concern to us is that the proposed rule fails to specifically outline how these changes will impact American Indian and Alaskan Native SNAP recipients with the greatest levels of food insecurity, highest rates of poverty and unemployment, and highest burden of food-related health problems and chronic diseases in the country," the members wrote in the letter.

The members specifically voiced concerns about the lack of tribal consultation, "Lastly, but most importantly, USDA failed to uphold its federal trust responsibility under Executive Order 12175 to engage in meaningful consultation with tribal leadership on this SNAP eligibility policy change, which clearly and significantly impacts Indian Country."

Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (NM-03), Chair of the Natural Resources Committee Raùl M. Grijalva (Ariz.-03), Chair of the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Ruben Gallego (Ariz.-07), House Agriculture Committee Member Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.-02), House Oversight Committee Member Gwen Moore (Wis.-04), House Agriculture Committee Member Tom O'Halleran (Ariz.-01), and U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02) signed the letter.