Trump halts 'food insecurity' report as Third Way memo questions terminology

The Agriculture Department has canceled the government's annual Household Food Security survey, a move that aligns with President Donald Trump's push to curb what his administration describes as politicized data collection. USDA officials described the nonstatutory report as overpoliticized and as 'subjective, liberal fodder' that 'does nothing more than fearmonger.'

Supporters say the policy debate has long relied on terms that broaden the scope of need, such as 'food insecurity' and 'housing insecurity.' In August, the Democrat-aligned group Third Way published a memo urging Democrats to drop what it calls woke language that has alienated voters and cost elections. The memo singled out terms like 'food insecurity' and 'housing insecurity,' arguing they obscure underlying needs and bolster calls for larger government programs. The group urged use of simpler terms like 'the hungry' and 'the homeless' to frame policy debates more plainly.

Data cited by federal statistics show about 18 million U.S. households were food insecure in 2023, a measure that does not necessarily indicate actual hunger. Officials note that many households rely on federal aid, with food stamps serving about 22 million households in 2023. Researchers from the American Enterprise Institute have noted that more than one in five households listed as food insecure had incomes in the middle-to-upper portion of the income distribution. Advocates say hunger is not synonymous with food insecurity, but the government has not attempted to estimate hunger directly in recent decades. The current data set tracks food insecurity, a broader indicator.

Third Way argues that language shapes political support for welfare programs. The memo also points to terms such as 'health insecurity' and 'energy insecurity' being used to justify broader policy programs. The debate underscores broader tensions between policymakers who want to expand welfare programs and those who seek to reframe or limit such programs. The measure remains high: food stamp caseloads have stayed near peak levels even after the pandemic.

Context: The note and the debate reflect a broader fight over policy language in U.S. politics, particularly as elections approach. The USDA's action is part of a broader push by the administration to scrutinize data tools that some Republicans say inflate welfare needs. The piece draws from commentary in the New York Post's opinion section that cites Third Way's memo and AEI researchers.