Politico reported that U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) “walked out of an Agriculture Committee GOP member briefing this week over a proposal that would push some federal food aid costs onto states for the first time, according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private outburst.”
Former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz amplified the Politico report on X and added, “Why does @derrickvanorden oppose having the states do more on food aid? They can probably do it better, at lower cost, without strings from the feds. The federal government is almost $40 trillion in debt.”
Why does @derrickvanorden oppose having the states do more on food aid?
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) May 3, 2025
They can probably do it better, at lower cost, without strings from the feds.
The federal government is almost $40 trillion in debt. pic.twitter.com/fdHkMnsPcv
Van Orden, who is running for re-election and received President Trump’s endorsement, has not yet responded to Gaetz’s post.
Van Orden did respond by amplifying a message from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who wrote on X on Friday: “Food Stamp Fraud stops NOW. If you are stealing from struggling families & the generosity of American taxpayers – WE ARE COMING FOR YOU. Under President Trump, @USDA is restoring law & order and protecting your hard earned tax dollars.”
Van Orden added on Saturday: “Every SNAP dollar that is fraudulently spent is a dollar that can’t go to a hungry child. This is gonna stop now!”
Every SNAP dollar that is fraudulently spent is a dollar that can’t go to a hungry child.
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) May 3, 2025
This is gonna stop now! https://t.co/W2ydyU3YCi
Note: It’s not the first time Van Orden has reportedly had an outburst. In April 2024, according to CNN, Van Orden “devolved into yet another rage-fueled outburst” on the House floor when he “dared his right-wing colleagues” to move on the motion to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, and called Gaetz “tubby.”
Things got heated on the House floor. DVO called Gaetz “tubby” in fiery scrum
— haley talbot (@haleytalbotcnn) April 18, 2024
GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden entered the 20 minute heated floor conversation as it was ongoing and dared his right-wing colleagues to move on the motion to oust Johnson
W/ @AnnieGrayerCNN
Note: Those who object to the shift from federal to state funding for food aid programs including SNAP claim the real goal of the shift is to dismantle the program’s core function.
As one replied to Gaetz: “Federal debt matters, but starving 41 million Americans of nutrition assistance while defense budgets balloon past $826B isn’t fiscal responsibility—it’s moral bankruptcy. Real reform means cutting waste, not safety nets.”
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