DOGE Chair Joni Ernst takes on food stamps in new bill to hold states ‘accountable’

FIRST ON FOX: The chair of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus is leading an effort to cut what she says is significant waste in food stamp programs. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is debuting a new bill on Wednesday designed to tackle overpayments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as “food stamps.” 

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DOGE Chair Sen. Joni Ernst has already rolled out several bills to cut waste. (Getty | U.S. Department of Agriculture)

“Bureaucratic blunders are leaving billions of dollars on the table as Americans are starved to keep up with the ever-growing $36 trillion debt,” she told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“SNAP plays an essential role in helping feed families. That’s why we need to strengthen its integrity by holding states accountable for growing error rates, implementing a zero-tolerance policy, and snapping back overpayments.”

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The Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act would charge states with collecting back SNAP overpayments while also requiring states to return what is owed to the federal government. The measure would further hold states accountable for their rates of errors in SNAP payment distribution in order to incentivize finance management. Ernst’s legislation would also require that every error is reported rather than only those that exceed the tolerance threshold of $54.  

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Vivek Ramaswamy, left, and Elon Musk (Getty Images | AP Images)

Ernst estimated that her bill could reduce spending by about $91 billion over the next 10 years, per her office. 

DOGE was previously announced by President Donald Trump, who tapped billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the new advisory board looking to cut government waste.

However, it was recently confirmed that Ramaswamy is stepping back from DOGE as he plans to run for governor of Ohio.

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Trump revealed DOGE before taking office. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Shortly after Trump revealed his plan for DOGE, Republicans in the House and Senate formed caucuses by the same name to help facilitate his agenda and cut waste, bureaucracy and spending. 

Ernst has already introduced several bills aligned with DOGE’s mission.