U.S. taxpayers are covering nearly $250 million each year in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds spent on fast-food meals across nine states participating in the Restaurant Meals Program, according to information released by Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, as reported [1] by Fox News.
The states participating in the program are Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. All are Democrat-run states except Virginia.
The modern SNAP program was created under the Food Stamps Act of 1964 to provide basic foods, including meats, fruits and vegetables, to Americans facing financial hardship.
The program was structured so that hot foods or foods prepared for immediate consumption could not be purchased. Its purpose was to give recipients staple groceries that would be prepared at home.
A 1977 provision later allowed states to opt into the Restaurant Meals Program. This program was created to allow homeless individuals without a kitchen to buy prepared meals with SNAP funds.
Eligibility was later expanded to include disabled individuals, elderly individuals, and their spouses.
Participating states must approve restaurants that wish to join the Restaurant Meals Program, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorizes those agreements.
Ernst’s office noted that while the number of participating restaurants was historically small, participation increased in recent years, with California expanding the program statewide in 2021.
That expansion allowed a wide range of major fast-food chains, including McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, and Jack in the Box, to accept CalFresh benefits through SNAP.
From June 2023 to May 2025, Ernst’s office found that more than $475 million in taxpayer funds were spent on Restaurant Meals Program purchases at fast-food establishments nationwide.
Total spending through the entire Restaurant Meals Program during that period reached $524 million. California alone accounted for more than 90% of the total.
“The ‘N’ in SNAP stands for nutrition, not nuggets with a side of fries,” Ernst told Fox News Digital.
“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.”
Blue states are abusing SNAP to allow $250 million per year to be spent at restaurants, mostly fast food.
McSCUSE ME? The “N” in SNAP stands for nutrition not nuggets with a side of fries.
I am stopping this abuse because taxpayers are not lovin’ it.https://t.co/qx33LmAn1X [2]
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) November 20, 2025 [3]
Between June 2023 and May 2025, the program recorded $41.4 million in spending in Arizona, $3.6 million in New York, $1.3 million in Michigan, $995,900 in Rhode Island, $649,000 in Massachusetts, $479,000 in Illinois, $308,500 in Virginia and $8,600 in Maryland.
Ernst introduced the McSCUSE ME Act on Thursday to reduce the scope of the Restaurant Meals Program. The legislation maintains access to the program for homeless, elderly, and disabled individuals but removes spousal eligibility.
It also proposes limiting which vendors are allowed to participate by restricting fast-food restaurants in favor of grocery stores that offer hot bars, with the intention of directing recipients toward healthier prepared options.
The bill would also require states to publish public annual reports detailing the number of participating vendors, the number of beneficiaries, and overall program costs.
This legislative effort follows the end of a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, during which food assistance programs received increased scrutiny over fraud risks and disruptions in benefits.
After the government reopened, the Trump administration required all SNAP beneficiaries to reapply to prevent fraudulent use.
Federal spending on SNAP peaked during the pandemic under the Biden administration, with costs reaching $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022. By the final year of that administration, the program cost $99.8 billion.