N.J. Assembly passes resolution condemning federal SNAP reforms as lawmaker raises oversight concerns
TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey General Assembly recently passed a resolution condemning federal efforts to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), drawing criticism from some lawmakers who said the state should focus on accountability and cost-efficiency.
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, voted against the resolution and criticized what she described as a lack of action to reduce food insecurity by addressing the rising cost of living in the state.
“This resolution doesn’t reform a single broken system, doesn’t address the costs of groceries in New Jersey, does not eliminate fraud or streamline access to families who actually need help,” Fantasia said on the floor. “What this resolution does do is protect a bloated federal program from even the slightest attempt at oversight. If you’re relying on taxpayer dollars to meet basic needs, then yes, you should be able to demonstrate eligibility.”
New Jersey’s Department of Human Services, which oversees SNAP in the state, distributes benefits to roughly 800,000 residents each month. In fiscal year 2023, the state received $1.975 billion in federal SNAP funding. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, New Jersey had the second-highest overpayment error rate in the country at 33.5%, behind only Alaska. The USDA said these errors were mostly due to state agency and recipient mistakes, with some cases of fraud.
The USDA has proposed increasing a state’s share of program costs if its error rate exceeds 6%.
Fantasia pointed to the high error rate, estimating that over $660 million may have been distributed in error last year. She also raised concerns about the lack of data on state-funded supplemental SNAP payments, which average $2.2 million per month under a new minimum benefit program launched in 2023.
“Trenton Democrats don’t prioritize hunger, they politicize it,” Fantasia said. “Any attempt to rein in costs has been met with resistance from Democrats in the Legislature. We cannot afford hundreds of millions of dollars of mistakes and that is the point Congress is making.”
“In New Jersey, we’re being crushed under record inflation, sky-high taxes, grocery bills have gone through the roof, but instead of addressing that, we’re grandstanding defending unchecked federal spending,” she added. “Let’s start rewarding work and not permanent dependency.”
Supporters of the Assembly resolution argue that proposed federal reforms could limit access to critical nutrition assistance for vulnerable populations. The resolution passed largely along party lines.
