Iowa U.S. Rep. Hinson backs Trump administration's termination of federal hunger survey

AMES — Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson on Monday said she supports the Trump administration’s move to terminate an annual federal report tracking food insecurity among Americans.

Speaking to reporters after a closed-to-the-press event for her U.S. Senate campaign at an Ames car dealership, Hinson said she is concerned about the accuracy of data used in the report conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and thinks the Trump administration should do a “thorough examination” of how the report’s data is compiled before publication.

“What I don't want to continue to see is reports that are maybe full of misinformation or improperly compiled information,” Hinson told reporters. “I think they're (Trump administration officials) taking a look at all of that to make sure what we're putting out is true and honest, and so that's what I support about the admin, and I look forward to working with them.”

The Household Food Security Reports have been conducted for 30 years, using surveys to measure how many people struggle to access enough food.

In its Sept. 20 statement announcing the termination, USDA called the reports “redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous studies” that “fear monger.”

USDA will release the 2024 report on Oct. 22, but will not conduct surveys for a 2025 report.

The termination of this study comes as food insecurity rates have spiked and reductions and restrictions to federal and state food aid programs are being rolled out.

In 2023, 12 percent of Iowans, or 385,130 people, experienced food insecurity, according to a Feeding America study.

President Donald Trump’s tax and spending mega bill signed into law in July will cut about $186 billion from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding through 2034, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

All six Republican members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation, including Hinson, voted for the bill.

In May, USDA approved a waiver submitted by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to ban the purchase of certain grocery items, including soda and sweets, using SNAP benefits.

Reynolds argued that the restrictions on SNAP-eligible items will bar Iowans from using benefits to purchase food products that contribute to increasing obesity rates in the state. Anti-hunger advocates said the move will create more barriers to food access for families who receive the benefits.

Luke Elzinga, chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, said he is concerned by the lack of explanation behind USDA’s cancellation of the report and called on Iowa’s members of Congress to “investigate the rationale” and any “consequences that may come as a result.”

“Halting data collection and reporting on food insecurity will not make this growing problem disappear,” Elzinga said in a statement to the Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau. “With the impacts of the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history looming, now is the time to be paying more attention to the rate of hunger in our nation, not do away with one of the most significant reports the federal government compiles on food insecurity.”

Hinson wants 'accountability on both sides' of Pentagon reporting requirements

Following the release of a memo by Pentagon officials last week requiring reporters to sign an agreement not to report information that has not been authorized for release, Hinson, a former television news anchor who holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, told reporters she would like to see accountability on both sides of the agreement and make sure “true and accurate” information is reported.

“What we have seen is some people who maybe have violated that trust with the Pentagon and have put out misinformation or have improperly reported for various reasons,” Hinson said. “I care about integrity in the journalism space, and I want accountability there on both sides of that agreement.”

On Sept. 19, the Pentagon distributed a 17-page memo requiring journalists who cover the agency to sign an agreement saying they will publish only pre-approved information, even if it is unclassified. Failure to follow the agreement could result in members of the media losing building access and press credentials at the Pentagon.

“The 'press' does not run the Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — a former Fox News television host — wrote in a post on X Sept. 19. “Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”

The “press” does not run the Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home. pic.twitter.com/nkG1m6bW3z

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 19, 2025

This new requirement drew criticism from press associations, including the National Press Association President Mike Balsamo, arguing it “threatens independent reporting.”