Video of the exchange reached over 400,000 views across social media platforms overnight
In the exchange, Senator Reverend Warnock grills Trump nom on his characterization that now eliminated federal food bank funding was a “slush fund”
Senator Reverend Warnock: “Mr. Walk, do you still stand by your categorization of the emergency food assistance program as a quote slush fund… Food banks in Georgia disagree with that characterization, I’ll tell you that. And they tell me that canceling this federal support has made it harder to feed hungry Georgians, and has meant that more families and children in Georgia go hungry”
ICYMI from Agriculture Policy outlet The Hagstrom Report: Warnock confronts USDA IG nominee on past record
Washington, D.C. – ICYMI, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) grilled U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General nominee John Walk about his May 2025 letter to Senator Warnock, which he called now eliminated federal food bank funding a “slush fund.” Mr. Walk said he had no recollection of referring to this life-saving funding as a “slush fund.” The video clip of the exchange has gone viral across social media platforms.
Prior to this nomination, Mr. Walk served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services when the Administration made the decision to cut $500 million from food banks. That included 2 million gallons of milk, 27 million pounds of chicken, 67 million eggs, and 10 million pounds of dried fruit that was set to go to millions of American children and families. Mr. Walk said he was not involved in the elimination of $500 million in food bank funding, but inexplicably was one of the leading voices at USDA defending the decision to members of Congress.
“Mr. Walk, do you still stand by your categorization of the emergency food assistance program as a quote slush fund?” Senator Reverend Warnock asked Mr. Walk. “You’re not aware of your own letter? That’s a pretty serious accusation that funds intended to go to food banks to support hungry people is a slush fund. Food banks in Georgia disagree with that characterization, I’ll tell you that. And they tell me that canceling this federal support has made it harder to feed hungry Georgians, and has meant that more families and children in Georgia go hungry.”
The Senator continued to question Mr. Walk on the Trump Administration’s current decision to cut off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding for 42 million Americans next month despite having ample funds to continue the life-saving program. The nominee dodged questions on the $5 billion available to fund SNAP that the Trump Administration is choosing to not use.
“They’re deciding to pit hungry people against sick people, and I think that’s immoral,” continued Senator Warnock. “There’s nothing legally stopping the administration from making emergency food assistance funds that they’re just sitting on available for Georgia kids and families in November… It is indisputable that the USDA under the Trump Administration is choosing to pull hungry children into this fight. They’re not just in this fight. They’re being pulled into this fight, used as pawns for short-term political gain. I think it’s deeply immoral, and I think we can certainly do better than that.”
Senator Warnock is a champion for SNAP, which helps families afford groceries. The Senator, along with Senator Ossoff, recently signed onto a new oversight effort urging USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure SNAP benefits continue in November.
Excerpts from The Hagstrom Report here:
When John Walk, President Trump’s nominee to be Agriculture Department inspector general, testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., asked him whether he had been involved in a decision to cancel a food distribution grant that was supposed to go to a Georgia food bank.
Walk, who was serving as Agriculture acting deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, said he had no involvement in that decision.
Warnock replied that when he had written Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about the decision, he had received a letter from Walk in which he described the food distribution program as “a slush fund.”
Walk answered that he could not remember the letter.
“You are not aware of your own letter?” Warnock asked.
Warnock also said the accusation was “pretty serious” and that “food banks in Georgia disagree with that characterization.”
Warnock then asked Walk whether he was aware of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency fund that Democrats say the Trump administration could use to make SNAP payments in November even though the government is closed.
Walk said he could not discuss the contingency fund because it is the subject of litigation.
The SNAP contingency fund is in litigation because the Trump administration is pitting hungry people against sick people, Warnock said, a reference to the Democrats’ insistence that they won’t vote for a continuing resolution to reopen the government until the Republicans agree to negotiations to continue subsidies for premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
Canceling this federal support has made it harder to feed hungry Georgians, Warnock said, putting more strain on food banks as 1.4 million Georgians are about to lose SNAP benefits.
Pulling poor children into the fight over ACA subsidies, Warnock said, “is deeply immoral.”
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