Congresswoman slams IL SNAP errors, praises WY’s eligibility checks
[September 10, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – An Illinois congresswoman says that liberal state
policies have turned the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program into
a magnet for abuse and a drain on taxpayers.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, zeroed in on one of her
sharpest criticisms: that some states allow undocumented immigrants to
improperly access benefits.
“When states allow illegal aliens to join SNAP to essentially steal
money from the American people, that is a major abuse of the program,”
Miller said. “Thankfully, that will soon end.”
Miller noted she had worked with colleagues to include language in
reconciliation that would remove illegal immigrants from SNAP
eligibility, a move she called “only one small step in the right
direction.”
Other alarms were raised by Miller over the scale of fraud in her home
state.
“Since 2022, more than $21 million in benefits have been stolen from
Illinois families,” she said, pointing to federal data that shows
Illinois ranking among the nation’s worst states for error rates. “This
is a failure due to poor state management.”
Miller urged the committee to refocus SNAP on its original purpose of
promoting nutrition rather than allowing it to function as what she
described as a subsidy for unhealthy foods.
“SNAP was also designed to be a nutrition program, not a junk food
subsidy,” Miller said.
Miller argued Illinois’ lax rules, such as not requiring IDs or birth
certificates, let ineligible applicants slip through. To illustrate a
different approach, Miller questioned Wyoming Department of Family
Services Director Korin Schmidt, who explained the state uses
documentation and federal checks to verify eligibility.
“The method that we’ve chosen to enforce it is to ask for verification
proof, a birth certificate for example, and then we verify that through
the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system,” Schmidt said.
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Schmidt added that uniform federal guidance is critical.
“I think that consistency in terms of conversations across all
states helps anyone who’s applying for SNAP to know what it is that
is expected, what they need to verify,” Schmidt said. “And then as
people move, as they do from state to state, they have a greater
chance of being successful in making a sound and legitimate
application.”
Miller praised Wyoming’s system, calling it “a success story we can
look to,” and urged Congress to ensure taxpayer dollars are directed
to eligible families.
“It’s a new day here,” she said, “and American taxpayer benefits are
going to be going to Americans.”
Responding to a question about federal support, Schmidt said states
like Wyoming have absorbed more of the program’s expenses after a
drop in federal administrative funding.
“We’ve gone from, in the state, from 50% of the cost to 75% of the
cost,” Schmidt said. “Of course, that’s going to mean an increase in
the state general fund in our case to support the program.”
The Wyoming legislature will debate funding and program impact in
its upcoming session.
The hearing sparked a broader debate over whether states should have
flexibility in managing SNAP or if consistent federal standards are
necessary. Miller cited Illinois as a cautionary example, while
Schmidt stressed the need for guidance and resources from
Washington.
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