Seven journalist and government watchdog agencies have gathered together to press the USDA to release information on secretive food stamp practices.
According to Daily Caller, they want to know "how much money retailers that accept food stamps make from the program and what products food stamp dollars are purchasing."
The coalition of 16,000 people, who are mainly health journalists, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting the USDA release their records "pertaining to the use of SNAP dollars," according to Daily Caller.
"The USDA has refused to reveal how much money individual retailers make from SNAP, arguing in FOIA denials and subsequent court documents that the law governing the program prohibits it. But we (and others) see nothing in the law barring such disclosures," the letter states. "And we believe this information is essential to an informed discussion of the Farm Bill reauthorization and the future of the SNAP program."
The group is also arguing for a more transparent approach, considering taxpayers are responsible for paying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
"As the number of Americans receiving SNAP continues to increase, along with the federal taxpayer support of it, a greater level of transparency is more essential than ever," the letter continued. "We believe it is simply wrong to withhold basic information about a multibillion-‐dollar program from the people who pay for it."
The groups that are part of the coalition include the "National Freedom of Information Coalition, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Association of Health Care Journalists, Investigative Reporters & Editors, the Association of Food Journalists, the National Association of Science Writers, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press," according to Daily Caller.
The group also feels it is necessary to know which products are being purchased with SNAP money in order to help solve health issues plaguing the U.S.
"Additionally, the USDA does not disclose which products are purchased with SNAP dollars - or how much is spent on each product, in aggregate - information that is extremely relevant to the public-policy debate about causes and health consequences of obesity, particularly in children," the coalition said. "As medical professionals and policy makers call for limits on the use of food stamps to buy 'junk food' and soft drinks, data about the type and healthfulness of food purchases is necessary to inform the discussion,"
