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Media Advisory No. 5211.11
Contact:
USDA Office of Communications
(202) 720-4623
USDA to Announce New Tactics to Combat Fraud and Enhance SNAP Program Integrity
Obama Administration Initiates Unprecedented Efforts to Protect Taxpayer Dollars
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2011 - TOMORROW, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon will host a national media conference call to announce a new range of aggressive tactics to further improve integrity in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as food stamps. The announcement directly supports the administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste and highlights efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending so taxpayer dollars are invested wisely. The new tactics underscore USDA’s unprecedented approach to combating trafficking – the sale of SNAP benefits for cash.
While a relatively limited problem, no level of trafficking or other crime is acceptable or tolerated by USDA. The department uses all available resources – from state-of-the-art technology to undercover investigations – to reduce and prevent trafficking and prosecutes abuses to the fullest extent of the law. Trafficking only diverts about 1 cent for every benefit dollar issued. The trafficking rate has fallen significantly over the last two decades, from about 4 cents on the dollar in 1993 to about 1 cent in 2006-08. By utilizing the new tools and tactics being announced, USDA will continue to reduce the rate of trafficking.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST
WHAT: Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services will host a national media conference call to announce a new range of aggressive tactics to further improve integrity in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as food stamps.
DETAILS: Call in: 888-324-3183 (trouble line 202-720-8560)
Passcode: SECY (Given verbally)
All callers using the above passcode will be placed in listen-only mode. To ask a question during the Q&A portion of the meeting, callers are instructed to press *1 on their touch tone phone.
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