STATE News:WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce (N.M.-02), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.-03) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (N.M.-01) are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General to thoroughly investigate New Mexico state government’s management of food-assistance benefits, including allegations that state employees altered documents to purposely delay applications.
The Congressional Delegation has been in contact with the Department of Agriculture regarding allegations involving the state’s mismanagement of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.
In a letter to Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General of the USDA, New Mexico lawmakers wrote: “We have had concerns regarding New Mexico’s administration of the SNAP program for a number of years and any actions by HSD that have resulted in eligible families and children going hungry need to be identified and rectified immediately, and those responsible need to be held accountable.”
In addition to the delegation request for an investigation, a top official with the Department of Agriculture also formally requested an OIG investigation following congressional testimony last week.
A full text of the delegation’s letter is available here.
