It looks like SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program designed to help struggling Americans put food on their tables, is having a long-overdue and much-deserved "come to Jesus" moment. The program has come under intense scrutiny this year, particularly during the recent government shutdown when a spotlight shone brightly on the massive amount of taxpayer money being wasted on people abusing the system.
The SNAP scrutiny kicked off earlier this year when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., emboldened by the growing Make American Health Again (MAHA) movement, gave permission to West Virginia to ban the use of federal food assistance dollars to purchase soft drinks. Thus started a national conversation on why exactly taxpayers were footing the bill for things like candy, soda, and a variety of junk food.
Things went into overdrive more recently as the Schumer Shutdown dragged on and it became clear that SNAP benefits wouldn't be funded for the month of November. Outraged SNAP recipients took to social media to rage at the thought of not having their benefits appear on the first of the month. The thing is, many of them filmed their tantrums from inside nice cars and well-furnished houses, often sporting nice jewelry, freshly-manicured nails, and well-fed physiques. Which, of course, begged the question: why were so many able-bodied loudmouths getting SNAP in the first place?
READ MORE: Food Stamp Theft: Now Up to 226K Fraudulent Claims Nationwide
Changes Push Millions Off SNAP Even As USDA Secretary Rollins Looks to Bigger Cuts
When the Food Stamps Act was first passed in 1964, it was intended to be a temporary help for financially needy Americans as they worked to get back on their feet. Recipients were limited to purchasing only fruits, vegetables, and meats, and the goal was for them to prepare their meals at home. Fast food and ready meals were not an option.
Well, that train derailed a long time ago, and, according to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), taxpayers now foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fast food meals purchased with SNAP benefits. And most of this is happening, naturally, in blue states.
As it turns out, a loophole emerged in 1977 that allowed states to opt into the Restaurant Meals Program, which was meant to provide meals to homeless food stamp recipients who didn't have access to a kitchen to prepare their meals. Eligibility for the program quickly expanded to include spouses, the elderly, and the disabled. Nine states opted into the program: Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
California seems to be the worst offender, according to Ernst.
California expanded its program statewide, for example, in 2021 that allowed restaurants to accept CalFresh benefits via SNAP at a swath of top fast-food chains stretching from McDonald's to Domino's Pizza to Jack in the Box.
Ernst's office found that from June 2023 to May 2025, more than $475 million in taxpayer dollars funded Restaurant Meals Program meals at fast-food establishments.
The days of the blue state fast food boondoggle may soon be over if Ernst's new bill, the McSCUSE ME Act, successfully makes it way through the legislature. The bill would "rein in the scope of the Restaurant Meals Program. Specifically, the bill would continue allowing homeless, elderly and disabled individuals to continue using the program, but ending spousal eligibility."
NEW: Sen. Joni Ernst just sponsored the McSCUSE ME Act to stop blue states from blowing $475M+ in SNAP cash fast food like McDonald’s and Domino’s.
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) November 20, 2025
California alone burned $524M on it. pic.twitter.com/WuGe8vpTN9
"The ‘N’ in SNAP stands for nutrition not nuggets with a side of fries," Ernst told Fox News. "I wish I was McRibbing you but $250 million per year at the drive-through is no joke and a serious waste of tax dollars. I hate to be the one to say McSCUSE ME, but something needs to be done because taxpayers are not lovin’ it."
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