SNAP Should Serve the Americans Who Need It Most

Guest Opinion By Christina Woerner McInnis - Farmer, CEO, and Candidate for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries

SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - is meant to help American families through tough times. In Alabama, seniors, children, and families facing real hardship depend on this program to put food on their tables. But the reality today is troubling. According to FOXNEWS, “Initial data from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service show Alabama leading the nation with more than 26,000 stolen SNAP benefit claims. California follows with 25,818 stolen benefit claims, and New York ranks third with 25,210.” The national average of people on SNAP is 13% and Alabama is higher at 15%.

The SNAP program grew 40% during the Biden administration, and there is so much fraud, misuse, and abuse. The Trump Administration found that 186,000 dead people are receiving SNAP. Anyone who’s been online has seen the TikToks—people openly bragging about gaming the system, selling benefits, or taking advantage of lax oversight. These are U.S. citizens and illegal immigrants exploiting a program intended for US families truly in need, and it pulls resources from the vulnerable people this system was designed to help. The SNAP program is 80% of the US Farm Bill, and this misuse and abuse takes away from our farmers.

At the same time, the federal government allows SNAP recipients to purchase items like margarita mix, yet they cannot buy an Alabama hot rotisserie chicken to feed their families. That makes absolutely no sense. A hot chicken is a wholesome, affordable, ready-to-serve meal for seniors, single parents, and families who need real food on the table—not cocktail mixers. Alabama’s #1 food commodity is poultry, and we are #2 in the nation. This lean meat is a good, healthy protein that is nutritious for SNAP and puts money into the pockets of our farmers. I have been working directly with members of the Alabama Legislature and the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association on a bill to add rotisserie chicken to the SNAP-approved list, and I recently held a press conference announcing this effort with the strong backing of Alabama chicken farmers. When families are struggling, they deserve access to real, nutritious meals—not bureaucratic roadblocks or outdated rules.

That’s why I want to commend Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who is working hard to restore accountability and integrity to our federal nutrition programs. Her leadership is essential at a time when the program has grown rapidly, and the evidence of fraud is impossible to ignore.

As a candidate for Alabama’s Agriculture and Industries Commissioner, I believe our state has a responsibility to make sure every benefit reaches the people it was meant to serve, AND USE HARD WORKING U.S. TAXPAYERS DOLLARS IN A FINANCIALLY STEWARDSHIP MANNER. Every wasted dollar undermines trust in the system and harms the families who genuinely need help.

We cannot allow broken federal policies to continue enabling fraud and draining resources from Alabama families.

Here is what I stand for:

Protecting SNAP for Alabama citizens who truly NEED it.
A safety net only works when it protects the people who actually rely on it.

No child, senior, or struggling parent should lose access because we have fraudulent people abusing the system.
Fraud is not a victimless act—it steals from vulnerable families.

Supporting Secretary Rollins’s efforts to restore accountability.
Her leadership acknowledges the seriousness of the problem and works toward real solutions.

Ensuring financial stewardship for U.S. taxpayers.
These programs must be managed responsibly, transparently, and with accountability.

Expanding SNAP to allow rotisserie chicken.
75% of children on SNAP are clinically obese. We should provide nutritious options that are good fo children AND good for the Alabama farmer. This simple change will help seniors, working parents, and families access real meals—and it has the full support of Alabama chicken farmers.

SNAP is meant to be a temporary bridge during difficult times—not a system people can exploit for personal gain. Hardworking U.S. taxpayers deserve a program that reflects integrity and serves those who truly need assistance.

As Alabama’s next Agriculture and Industries Commissioner, I will fight to protect these programs, stop fraud and misuse, and make sure our resources support the families who rely on them.

Our farmers feed America. Our policies must feed Alabama families first. Alabama farmers and families depend on policies that protect Alabama.

For more information on Christina Woerner McInnis and her campaign for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, visit McInnisForAlabama.com or follow her on social media.

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