Former Republican presidential candidate and now Department of Government Efficiency co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy has turned his “efficiency” attention to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
Highlighting what he perceives as rampant waste and corruption, Ramaswamy intends to root out inefficiencies within the system to save taxpayer dollars in a nation that faces massive debt and budget deficits.
On his X account, Ramaswamy asserted, “~$1BN is wasted every month on ineligible SNAP benefits.” He criticized the current administration for allowing overpayments to persist, stating that states often fail to disqualify recipients whose incomes exceed eligibility thresholds.
This oversight, he claims, contributes significantly to the financial strain on the program.
Ramaswamy emphasized the issue of fraud, citing the lack of coordination between states as a primary factor enabling individuals to collect benefits from multiple locations. “Eliminating waste & fraud in SNAP would save billions annually,” he argued, framing this initiative as an essential step toward fiscal responsibility.
His call for reform seeks to resonate beyond party lines, as he noted, “This isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) a partisan point.” By advocating for accountability, Ramaswamy aims to appeal to a wider audience, focusing on the need for governmental efficiency regardless of political affiliation.
As the conversation around SNAP continues, Ramaswamy’s stance underscores a growing trend to scrutinize government programs for inefficiencies. Whether his proposals will lead to meaningful change or if the DOGE dream will suffer stillbirth in Congress remains to be seen. Yet, it is clear that tackling waste and fraud in social assistance programs is positioned to be a key component of reducing wasteful expenditure and redirecting resources to where they can be used efficiently and effectively to the benefit of the American people.
