FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT ON VERMONT’S SNAP DATA DISCLOSURE AND THE BROADER RISKS OF GOVERNMENT DATA SHARING
FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT ON VERMONT’S SNAP DATA DISCLOSURE AND THE BROADER RISKS OF GOVERNMENT DATA SHARING
August 8, 2025
Two days ago, I spoke out against the decision to release the personal information of about 140,000 SNAP (3SquaresVT) recipients to the Trump administration. The information we’ve learned since then makes that decision even more troubling.
Governor Scott said, “I don’t know what they will do with it,” and admitted he did not consider the administration’s intent before handing over Vermonters’ names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and household information. If we do not know how this data will be used, there is no justification for giving it away.
The Governor also said Vermonters are “not being realistic” if they expect the state to protect them from everything the federal government does. I disagree. In a moment when trust in the federal government is at historic lows and many Vermonters have reason to be concerned, lowering expectations is not leadership. Our responsibility is to protect Vermonters’ rights and safety, not surrender them.
Experts are warning exactly what is at stake. John Davisson at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) says the USDA’s demand violates multiple federal laws, including the Privacy Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act. Elizabeth Laird at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) warns that this kind of federal data grab could be used against immigrants, transgender people, people seeking reproductive care, and anyone targeted for political reasons.
This week, CDT also released a report on the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) showing how “government efficiency” programs have been used to amass sensitive data, bypass privacy safeguards, and even cause security breaches. Vermont’s compliance with this order feeds into the same national pattern that other Republican and Democratic states have rejected.
Our Attorney General was ready to challenge this in court. That opportunity was lost when the administration chose compliance over protection. That was a choice — and it was the wrong one.
It is not too late to change course. Governor Scott should work with the Attorney General, with me, with national privacy experts, and with legislative leadership to put in place strong, enforceable privacy protections in Vermont. He can push the federal government to limit how this data is used. He can publicly support bipartisan efforts in Congress to stop this kind of overreach. And he can take steps now to rebuild Vermonters’ trust — starting with admitting that handing over the data was a mistake. Vermonters can forgive a mistake; it is much harder to forgive a refusal to acknowledge one.
I will keep working with colleagues across the aisle to pass laws that protect Vermonters from this kind of mass disclosure. Privacy is not a partisan issue. It is about dignity, freedom, and safety for every person in this state.
Your anger is justified. Your concern is valid. Let’s turn both into action. Contact the Governor’s office. Contact your legislators. Demand that Vermont stand up for its people.
In solidarity,
Vermont State Representative Monique Priestley
Orange-2 District (Bradford, Fairlee, West Fairlee)
https://priestleyvt.com
Clerk, House Commerce & Economic Development Committee
Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee
Co-Chair, Rural Caucus
Co-Chair, Future Caucus National Task Force on AI Policy
NCSL Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity & Privacy
NCSL Committee on Technology & Communications
NCSL Committee on Labor & Economic Development
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RESOURCES
CDT Joins Call for SNAP Payment Processors to Refuse USDA Data Requests (A Letter from Center for Democracy & Technology, Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Protect Democracy)
CDT, the Leadership Conference, and Protect Democracy Release New Analysis of Federal Efforts to Expand Access to State Administrative Data (A Brief from CDT, Protect Democracy, and The Center for Civil Rights & Technology)
States Have More Data About You Than the Feds Do. Trump Wants to See It. (New York Times)
DOGE-ifying Government with Data & Tech: What States Can Learn from the Federal DOGE Fallout (CDT)
Facing pushback, Scott defends transfer of Vermonters’ personal information to Trump administration (Vermont Public)
The Trump administration demanded SNAP recipients’ personal data. Vermont has complied (Vermont Public)
