Congresswoman Nikema Williams Leads Opposition to USDA Plan Requiring All SNAP Recipients to Reapply

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) led a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, concerning their recent statement that the next step to rebuilding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is to make everyone currently receiving this benefit reapply. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Lateefah Simon (CA-12) joined the letter.

A process to review all SNAP recipients and ensure they remain eligible is already in place. According to current federal law, states are directed to require all SNAP recipients to complete a recertification a minimum of once every 12 months, unless all household members are elderly or disabled, in which case they must complete recertification a minimum of once every 24 months. Many states choose to require recertification every six months. Recertification mirrors the certification process and is intended to ensure that the household remains eligible and receives the correct allotment. This process includes a recertification application, interview, verification, and timely eligibility determination.

Due to the extensive recertification requirements, families can experience delays in receiving their benefits, causing greater food insecurity.

The members wrote:

“Your call to force all SNAP recipients to reapply is troubling. This would overrule federal law and existing state processes, jeopardizing the families that count on SNAP to feed their loved ones. We urge you to immediately reconsider this decision—especially as families are still reeling from November’s SNAP delay. This delay was caused by your office and the Trump Administration when President Trump refused to follow federal standards requiring SNAP benefits to be fully funded during the shutdown. Families already fighting to get by shouldn’t have to jump through new hoops to keep the benefits they have rightfully earned.”

“We call on you to clarify that SNAP recipients will not be required to complete any additional reapplication process beyond the current recertification process. We strongly urge you to provide clarity to the millions of American families who rely on SNAP and commit to following the federal laws in place to ensure that American families can have food on the table this holiday season and beyond.”

Read the full letter here.