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In September, a federal judge ruled<\/a> in favor of the states and temporarily blocked the USDA from withholding funds over the data request. It\u2019s unclear how Tuesday\u2019s comment from Rollins impacts this litigation.<\/p>\n In a statement, a USDA spokesperson said the agency has sent another request to the remaining states to turn over the data. States choosing not to comply will receive a formal warning that the USDA will revoke administrative funds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just came from a government shutdown that has really weakened individuals\u2019 trust in government, and this will continue the threats to privacy, undermine the confidence in SNAP, and will just create a chill of discouraging eligible individuals from applying,\u201d said Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director at the Food Research and Action Center.<\/p>\n During the 43-day shutdown, SNAP benefits were delayed<\/a> for the first time in the program\u2019s history after the USDA declined to voluntarily tap into<\/a> the program\u2019s contingency fund<\/a> or other funding sources. Since the shutdown ended and benefits were restored, Rollins has highlighted efforts to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse in the program in press appearances<\/a> and social media.<\/p>\n Further complicating things, states operate on fixed budgets and cannot easily absorb sudden cuts to federal funding, Plata-Nino said, particularly while they are enacting other Republican policy changes<\/a> and recovering from the shutdown. (Link to this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n