Letter to the Hon. Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States - Ranking Members Boozman, Thompson Urge GAO Review of USDA Thrifty Food Plan Scheme

Letter

WASHINGTON--U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and U.S. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson, Ranking Member, House Committee on Agriculture are asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) update of the Thrifty Food Plan.

In a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, the Republican leaders ask GAO to research and report on the reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan to ensure the process is conducted with the utmost integrity and credibility and is based on sound data.

In the letter, Mr. Boozman and Mr. Thompson stated:

"The complexity of this process, and its likely impacts, create an urgent need for scrutiny, particularly on the heels of significant nutrition-related pandemic spending that has continued without rigorous oversight.

Without question, this review and update will have obvious and considerable impacts on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While we expect this process will elicit an increase to the cost of the thrifty food plan-- and subsequently monthly SNAP allotments-- questions remain as to how the Department has gone about this review and update, including their methodologies, administrative practices, and legal authorities"

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