The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

[phkrause]

SNAP Is and Remains Our Most Effective Tool to Combat Hunger

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is our nation’s most effective tool for combating hunger. It plays a critical role in reducing poverty, improving health and economic outcomes, supporting people who are paid low wages, and serving as the first line of defense against hunger during economic downturns. Access to SNAP provides families with the money they need to purchase groceries, freeing up their limited resources to spend more on other basic needs such as housing, utilities, and medical and child care.

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/snap-is-and-remains-our-most-effective-tool-to-combat-hunger?

[phkrause]

Families are taking a hit as pandemic aid ends, inflation continues

In January, data show people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida said they struggled most with paying for household expenses

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/02/27/families-are-taking-a-hit-as-pandemic-aid-ends-inflation-continues/?

[phkrause]

SNAP Linked to Better Health Throughout Life and Lower Health Care Costs

SNAP is one of our most effective tools to reduce hunger and food insecurity, which occurs when a lack of resources causes household members to struggle to afford enough food for an active, healthy life at least once in a year. But it does so much more. Our recent report summarizes 15 years of research linking SNAP with improved health outcomes and lower health care costs.

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/snap-linked-to-better-health-throughout-life-and-lower-health-care-costs?

[phkrause]

Republican plan could limit food aid for nearly 1 million people, USDA says

April 25 (Reuters) - Nearly one million Americans could find it harder to access federal food aid under a Republican proposal to expand the program’s work requirements, according to the Biden administration, which has promised to veto the plan if it passes Congress.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-plan-could-limit-food-aid-850000-people-usda-says-2023-04-25/?

[phkrause]

USDA will extend SNAP food assistance to Idalia victims in Florida

Low-income residents in eleven Florida counties affected by Hurricane Idalia will be eligible for a new federal recovery program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/09/20/usda-will-extend-snap-food-assistance-to-idalia-victims-in-florida/?

[phkrause]

Congresswoman Castor worries about cuts in a nutrition program for low-income women and kids

The WIC program serves about half of all infants born in the U.S., according to USDA

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/21/congresswoman-castor-worries-about-cuts-in-a-nutrition-program-for-low-income-women-and-kids/?

[phkrause]

? America's food aid gap

Data: National Council on Aging and Urban Institute. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Nearly 3 in 4 older Americans eligible for a key federal food assistance program aren't taking part, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj write from a National Council on Aging and Urban Institute report. People who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits must apply in order to get them. Stunning stat: 70% of Americans 65 and older who qualify for SNAP aren't participating in the program. That's 9 million people who may be struggling to afford groceries. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

SNAP benefits change effective Oct. 1

The amount of benefits is increasing for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3614615148519-snap-benefits-change-effective-oct-1?

[phkrause]

Food program cuts could hurt 2.9 million Floridians, cost taxpayers $657M

TALLAHASSEE — Congress plans to cut billions from federal food-assistance programs and shift that burden to the states over the next several years — a move that could hurt the 2.9 million Florida residents who rely on them.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/18/food-program-cuts-could-hurt-2-9-million-floridians-cost-taxpayers-657m/?

[phkrause]

? SNAP cuts spook food banks

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The "big, beautiful" megabill slashes federal food assistance — and hunger relief groups say the consequences could be devastating, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. With millions of food-insecure Americans projected to lose benefits, frontline organizations are bracing for a surge they say they simply can't absorb. ? Feeding America estimates that provisions affecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could eliminate the equivalent of some 6 to 9 billion meals annually. Feeding America's network would have to "more than double" the amount of food distributed to fill the hole, Vince Hall, chief government relations officer, tells Axios. The organization is trying to prepare for the surge by reaching out to donors, community leaders, farmers and lawmakers. Read on.

[phkrause]

SNAP cliff sets off scramble for aid

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Food banks are bracing for a surge in demand with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program set to freeze in just a few days. SNAP covers about 42 million Americans, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. ⚡️ Where it stands: A few states have authorized other streams of aid. But those workarounds are only temporary fixes, and the federal government has said states won't be reimbursed for such efforts. DoorDash is waiving merchant fees for partner food banks, pantries and community groups. ? For every one meal that the nation's Feeding America food bank network provides, SNAP provides nine, the organization said. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

SNAP Funding Status

A federal judge yesterday suggested she will order the Agriculture Department to tap emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Funding for the program, colloquially referred to as food stamps, is poised to lapse tomorrow for the first time since its creation in 1964 amid the federal government shutdown.  Democratic officials from 25 states and Washington, DC, sued the Agriculture Department Tuesday for refusing to tap into a roughly $5B contingency fund to sustain SNAP. The Trump administration says the fund is intended for specific emergencies, such as natural disasters, and is insufficient to deliver full November benefits. SNAP costs roughly $8B per month, providing about $190 average monthly payments to nearly 42 million people (see more data). During previous government shutdowns, administrations have issued grace periods and special funding transfers to ensure uninterrupted benefits. Republican and Democratic governors have announced initiatives to support SNAP recipients. See a history of the program here.

[bonnie1962]

In  large corrections of government programs the some innocent, those truly in need will be hurt. Another federal program run amuck.

In our small town the senior center is located in same building but separate sections as food shelf. I was waiting for senior center to open along with two young mothers waiting for the food shelf to open. Each had a child with them, maybe 8-9. Each child, and mothers had their own phones. Phones from the looks of them I would never buy because of the cost.  One of the mothers was telling her friend that she was going to get her tattoo in the morning. It would take a few visits but the first one was only 75.00. What is wrong with that picture? From time to time I did business with a woman that helped run the food shelf.  She explained what I described is not an isolated incident. I was aware that towards the holidays that the food shelf would accept donated items for families in need at  xmas . Twice I made the mistake of donating. The first time I was surprised to find my items at a indoor flea market a couple of weeks later. Second time I donated 10 hand made teddy bears.  I watched as a woman came in with a large garbage bag and took every one. I made the mistake of thinking she would get them to the intended families. Instead she was so happy to have found them as her three german shepherds loved playing with stuffed toys. I asked the admins of the food shelf if they could prevent her from doing that and they said they could not. They couldn't ask who intended for, proof of need or how many children in this case would receive. I was asked to take some of the surplus of their hands one time. I couldn't understand how with so many hungry there was a surplus. What a misuse of charitable giving by generous citizens. There was frequently squash, potatoes, apples, lettuce etc. A large portion of the  recipients are comprised of young families and senior citizens. The young families want instant everything.. They don't know what to do with most produce that has to be prepared. The thinking was if they held classes, maybe enlisting some of the senior citizens to help learn how to use the produce they would be willing to accept that. That lasted exactly two classes. The really sad part if they don't distribute the required number of lbs per month, their government grants are cut. If they receive 10,000.00 government grant based on 20,000 lbs of food and they only distribute 15,000 their grant is cut accordingly. In comes the pig farmers to relieve them of the unwanted produce.

At times I have stood behind a mother with young children using SNAP, all were considerably overweight. Looking at the grocery cart that was easy to understand. One really stands out. A small child, maybe 4-5 so obese his T-shirt didn't cover his belly, munching on a  large size candy bar. There should be restrictions on SNAP. When others are asked to provide for the food they purchase, it shouldn't be cupcakes, bags of candy,2 six packs of coke and processed, prepared foods to stick in the microwave. When others are forced to pay it should be necessities . Use whatever money they have for junk.

And yes there are so many that genuinely need help and cant help themselves and they should be helped. A number of these families need to consider a second and third job. My husband and I had to for several years. Didn't kill us.

A few years ago we had a neighbor that worked for the county. Her job was to identify fraud and report. According to her the fraud is hard to grasp ,and harder to stop. The only way to stop it is to shut down and clean house and then innocent people are harmed. If it isn't stopped innocent taxpayers are being harmed. 

[Theophilus]

 How very, very kind of you for making the teddy bears. That shows so much love and compassion!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry that happened to you. 

Bonnie, I know what you are talking about. But for all of your stories there are many other stories that i have seen,m any are thankful and use wisely. I am a 73 yo SNAP recipient--no stamps this month--I'm ok though. Having been an Adventist for awhile, and knowing how to make a meal out of nothing because of it (my son and I used to walk up to a bulk store and buy a 25 lb bag of flour, a large soy sauce, and some oatmeal.)  I'm sure you know where this is going   We made seitan from the flour and used soy sauce as a broth, and made bread, and oatmeal or oatmeal bread. Aldi had cheap vegs and fruits in cans, and i bought those also, I served sweet potatoes and broccoli 2 times a week.. It was a lot of fun making those meals. I still make choplets, but with VWG that i got a fantastic deal on.I didnt have food stamps during this time.I do now though and try to use them wisely. Will be ok if I cant get stamps in the future.

One of the problems I think is folk have lost the desire to cook, and if they had to because of not ready for consumption meals, they would eventually grow to love cooking.  IDK, though. I wish there were required classes,online would be easy, and everyone pretty much has a phone. I also wish the USDA would publish recipes, and a pantry stock checklist (onion powder garlic powder salt pepper baking powder, baking soda, stuff like that), and post it as a list at places like Walmart. Walmart could have a run on those things like they do with school supplies. Folks who dont know would have building blocks basics for recipes.

 

When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family got commodities.  Big Cans of USDA butter, Lard, cheese, tons of Texas Toast type bread. We would, when the commodities came in,  put lard on a piece of bread, fry it, and the put some of the real butter on it. I know, lard, but I was a Mormon kid and lard was fine. My parents couldn't afford real butter, and those fried toast things were someone of the most delicious things I'd ever had. I wish we still had commodities--the farmers could sell those to the government, and the government distribute. Meanwhile the recipients, if they can, are volunteering for whoever needs them.  

I understand there are some states going to require that if you get benefits, you need to work or at least perform community service for X hours a week. This is an excellent idea IMO. I would do it if i had transportation just because it is fun to help someone.

Again, thank you for your kindness! 

This is all over the place and Im sorry--home from church today recovering from pneumonia--much much better,praise God, but supposed to rest and not be around crowds for a week or two.  So Im chillin online 

.

[bonnie1962]

How very, very kind of you for making the teddy bears. That shows so much love and compassion!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry that happened to you. 

I think you missed my point. It did not happen to me. The woman's selfishness happened to  ten children. Ten children that may not have had anything or anything new for christmas. The party that took the first donation and sold at flea market really didn't hurt me, but it did future families that may have benefitted and now certainly won't.

Bonnie, I know what you are talking about. But for all of your stories there are many other stories that i have seen,m any are thankful and use wisely. I am a 73 yo SNAP recipient--no stamps this month--I'm ok though. Having been an Adventist for awhile, and knowing how to make a meal out of nothing because of it  (my son and I used to walk up to a bulk store and buy a 25 lb bag of flour, a large soy sauce, and some oatmeal.)  I'm sure you know where this is going   We made seitan from the flour and used soy sauce as a broth, and made bread, and oatmeal or oatmeal bread. Aldi had cheap vegs and fruits in cans, and i bought those also, I served sweet potatoes and broccoli 2 times a week.. It was a lot of fun making those meals. I still make choplets, but with VWG that i got a fantastic deal on.I didnt have food stamps during this time.I do now though and try to use them wisely. Will be ok if I cant get stamps in the future.

 

Of course there are many that need and should have the help. Some are in desperate need. I think I had already said that.  Those that abuse, and that includes those that could get a second job if they can't afford groceries as far as I am concerned, are harming those that cannot help themselves. My husband and I had to, my parents did my brothers and I began working by the age of ten.

That was the point my neighbor was making about fraud. The only way for a correction now is to scrap it and began all over more sensibly. Not likely. It has been so abused . Much like  a lot of programs designed to help. One thing a shut down may lead to is some learning they can actually do more to help themselves. Churches are stepping up to help in our area, pantries set up at end of driveways. or enclosed porches.  Close to me , in a distance of three miles pantries offering home made baked goods, another canned goods, another fresh produce. Take what you can use, leave the rest and surprisingly it is not being abused. As they run low they are replenished. 

[Theophilus]

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Posted 24 minutes ago

How very, very kind of you for making the teddy bears. That shows so much love and compassion!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry that happened to you. 

I think you missed my point. It did not happen to me. The woman's selfishness happened to  ten children. Ten children that may not have had anything or anything new for christmas. The party that took the first donation and sold at flea market really didn't hurt me, but it did future families that may have benefitted and now certainly won't.

 

No, I got that. What I wanted you to know is that your endeavor was very kind. And the fact that you saw your things at a flea market later--that is why I said i was sorry it happened to you.You did not have to do that, and regardless of the outcome, you deserve to be thanked.

[bonnie1962]

Almost every program the government is in charge of ends up a mess at some point. Immigration is a great example. There has been ample time in the past for either a democratic or republican administration to make the process a lot easier and more beneficial for all sides involved. For whatever reason they keep kicking the can down the road.  Now you have someone more than willing to come in like a bulldozer . That is just about what it will take with those innocent getting caught in the crossfire.  Realistically most people with two brain cells to rub together realize we cannot take care of our own and then all those coming in illegally. I don't want the children of legal or illegal parents going hungry so what, allow them to continue to drain our resources. They have a rather novel way of obtaining  SNAP.A legal family with three children will suddenly have eight children when signing up for benefits. They will produce the extra children on demand. Snap is granted based on a family of ten instead of five. Many immigrants do not come with the proper paperwork. How are you to prove? There is no attempt to assimilate the US is supposed to assimilate to their  culture.  There are many hard working legal immigrants,  most if needing help when they first come, work hard to become independent. Those that don't make it difficult for those that do.

[phkrause]

Cuts to SNAP benefits will disproportionately harm families of color and children

Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration passed a budget blueprint to pay for tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor rich households at the expense of working people. Communities of color will be disproportionately impacted by these potential cuts. In addition to targeting Medicaid—we highlighted how Medicaid cuts would be especially harmful for people of color and children here—the budget resolution also tees up Congress to slash $230 billion in agricultural spending over the next 10 years. Finding cuts that large will almost certainly require reducing nutrition spending by cutting the country’s largest food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is run out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

https://www.epi.org/blog/cuts-to-snap-benefits-will-disproportionately-harm-families-of-color-and-children/?

[bonnie1962]

Who can expect a $0 tax bill under Trump© The Washington Post/Getty

President Donald Trump’s new tax bill cuts the income tax liability for many Americans.

Altogether, roughly 40% of U.S. households could pay $0 in federal income tax in 2025, according to the Tax Policy Center (1). Similarly, 40% of households had a $0 federal tax bill in 2022, under the Biden administration. However, Trump’s tax cuts favor specific groups, which means some Americans may see a $0 tax bill for the first time (2).

 

Here’s a closer look at who will come out ahead.

Who can eliminate their tax bill?

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) specifically favors seniors, employees earning tips and overtime, and those with children.

Here’s an example: Casey and Riley earn a combined income of $100,000 and have two children under the age of 13. Their usual deductions allow them to lower their taxable income considerably, with $31,500 in standard deductions, $6,800 in 401(k) contributions, $6,800 for health insurance premiums, $1,260 for a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and $3,000 for a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA).

But the new bill adds another deduction to this list: overtime pay. Casey and Riley can deduct an additional $10,000 because of this.

After all deductions and subtractions from their total income, they net out at $40,640, leaving them with a $4,400 tax liability. However, Casey and Riley could also receive the maximum child tax credit of $2,200 per child, which is up from $2,000 last year. The combined tax credit of $4,400 would offset the amount they owe in taxes and leaves them effectively with a $0 bill.

 

Related video: New income tax bracket changes set for married and single filings for 2026 (WTSP-TV Tampa-St. Petersburg)

 

The IRS says these new brackets are to help offset

 

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New income tax bracket changes set for married and single filings for 2026

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Similarly, a retired couple who are both 66 years old and earning a combined adjusted gross income of $96,700 could reduce their taxable income by $34,700 under the existing standard deduction. The OBBBA’s new seniors deduction, worth $6,000 each or $12,000 together, decreases their combined taxable income to $50,000 (3).

Because the remaining $50,000 is derived from capital gains and qualified dividends, it would be subject to a 0% tax rate (4). All in all, the senior couple could pay $0 in federal income tax.

These are just some examples of how some families can eliminate their total liability by taking advantage of all the deductions and tax credits available to them. That said, individuals or households with higher income levels likely won’t be able to bring their tax bill down to $0.

High-income households can work with platforms like Range to further reduce their tax burden.

 

Beyond taxes, Range also offers investment advisory services. While traditional advisors can charge fees from 0.5% to 2% of your total assets under management (AUM), or between $1,000 to $3,000+ for more comprehensive plans, Range offers flat-fee pricing with 0% AUM fees. That’s a fraction of what you’d pay with a typical CFP. You can even book a free demo with the Range team after answering a few quick questions about yourself and what you’re looking for from their experts.

Must Read

[bonnie1962]

27 minutes ago, phkrause said:

Cuts to SNAP benefits will disproportionately harm families of color and children

Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration passed a budget blueprint to pay for tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor rich households at the expense of working people. Communities of color will be disproportionately impacted by these potential cuts. In addition to targeting Medicaid—we highlighted how Medicaid cuts would be especially harmful for people of color and children here—the budget resolution also tees up Congress to slash $230 billion in agricultural spending over the next 10 years. Finding cuts that large will almost certainly require reducing nutrition spending by cutting the country’s largest food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is run out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

https://www.epi.org/blog/cuts-to-snap-benefits-will-disproportionately-harm-families-of-color-and-children/?

The top 50 percent of all taxpayers paid 97.7 percent of all federal individual income taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid the remaining 2.3 percent.

 

phkrause    Please explain to me  how much more you would like to see  the taxes cut for the bottom 50 percent and how much more the top 50 percent to be forced to pay over and above 97.7 percent. God requires a even across the board ten percent

 

 

New Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data on individual income taxes for tax year 2021 shows the federal income tax system continues to be progressive as high-income taxpayers pay the highest average income tax rates. Average tax rates for all income groups remained lower in 2021, four years after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), than they were in 2017 prior to the reform. The 2021 data also reflects changes in people’s incomes and in government policy during the coronavirus pandemic.

• In 2021, taxpayers filed 153.6 million tax returns, reported earning more than $14.7 trillion in adjusted gross income (AGI), and paid nearly $2.2 trillion in individual income taxes.
• The average income tax rate in 2021 was 14.9 percent. The top 1 percent of taxpayers paid a 25.9 percent average rate, nearly eight times higher than the 3.3 percent average rate paid by the bottom half of taxpayers.
• The top 1 percent’s income share rose from 22.2 percent in 2020 to 26.3 percent in 2021 and its share of federal income taxes paid rose from 42.3 percent to 45.8 percent.
• The top 50 percent of all taxpayers paid 97.7 percent of all federal individual income taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid the remaining 2.3 percent.
• The 2021 figures include pandemic-related tax items from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), such as the non-refundable part of the third round of Recovery Rebates and the expanded child tax credit (CTC) and earned income tax credit (EITC).
• Capital gains realizations exceeded $2 trillion to reach a 40-year high, driving income growth and taxes paid for high-income groups.

[bonnie1962]

https://greenlivingtribe.com/study-finds-conservatives-are-30-more-charitable-than-liberals-even-with-a-lower-income-and-what-they-give-to-is-even-more-of-a-rabbit-hole/

Liberals demonstrate remarkable compassion by advocating for extensive government spending to assist the most vulnerable individuals both domestically and internationally. However, when it comes to personal contributions to charitable causes, liberals are often seen as less inclined to give. Interestingly enough, advocating for government spending is not giving but instead asking for others to give, which tends to be more of the liberal approach.

Inherently liberals are more careless with their finances than conservatives. Liberals are ‘liberal’ meaning to be less conservative. Conservatives are more directed with their finances which is why they tend to be wealthier.

[phkrause]

Florida Democrats respond to SNAP ruling

Florida Democrats, who could not convince Gov. Ron DeSantis to step in to provide food aid being lost due to the government shutdown, hailed a pair of  federal court rulings late Friday that may allow the aid to flow again.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/31/florida-democrats-respond-to-snap-ruling/?

As families are about to go hungry, Republicans pretend to be powerless

One of the most surprising revelations of the SNAP saga is how powerless Republican leaders are. 

https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/families-are-about-go-hungry-republicans-pretend-be-powerless ?

USDA claims Democrats voted against SNAP funding 12 times. Here are the facts

Senators repeatedly failed to pass a continuing resolution that would fund federal agencies and services including SNAP, also known as food stamps.

Claim:

U.S. Senate Democrats voted 12 times not to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Rating:

Mixture

What's True

The pop-up that made the claim on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website appeared on Oct. 25, 2025. At that time, 12 votes to pass a Republican-sponsored continuing resolution on government funding measures had failed in the Senate, with Democrats making up the vast majority of the votes against the resolution every time. However ...

What's False

... We found no evidence that Senate Democrats voted specifically to block funding for SNAP. Senate Democrats have stated throughout the government shutdown that their top priority is a permanent extension on tax credits that millions of Americans use to buy health insurance and that Republicans have falsely claimed would allow "illegal" immigrants to access free healthcare.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/democrats-vote-against-snap-12-times/?

[phkrause]

Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP for November, after two judges issued rulings requiring the government to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running.

https://apnews.com/article/snap-government-shutdown-court-order-b354aa0b596dcb8bfc6dc59a3382e811?

[phkrause]

A Message to MAGA From One SNAP Family Stealing Your Tax Dollars

Under most circumstances, I’d shrug and move on. But as my fourth-grade son struggles to gain weight after treatment for a rare, deadly disease, I can’t keep my mouth shut.

Since it’s become so trendy among some Republicans to belittle and degrade low-income families relying on food stamp benefits (that have been cut off amid the government shutdown), I would like to volunteer myself as tribute. Belittle and vilify me all you want, but my nine-year-old son, Aedrik, deserves to eat. Not just because he’s a child, but also a sick child recovering from a bone marrow transplant. I’ve been working since I was 15. But after my son’s devastating diagnosis with a rare disease called cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, I rely on a string of freelance editing gigs for income while overseeing his recovery, and it’s not enough to make ends meet. Especially when his health issues mean he’s been unable to put on any weight, forcing me to feed him a high-protein diet chock full of things that are usually hard to find at local food banks.

We’re exactly the kind of people the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was meant to protect. The several hundred dollars of assistance a month would’ve allowed me to feed my son the meat, fish and fresh produce he needs without me having to forgo paying the phone bill and utilities.

Except we were approved for food stamp benefits on Nov. 1—the day they were cut off for 42 million Americans while President Trump and his administration feigned helplessness, claiming funds were “not legally available.” (Weird that they couldn’t tap into a contingency budget to keep people fed today despite doing just that during another government shutdown in 2019?)

It took a federal judge ordering the administration to pay out to move the needle even partially, and that was only after several days of “maybe we’ll fund it, maybe we won’t” f--kery by White House officials.

It remains to be seen if they will obey the court order; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday only that the payments “could be” made this week. And just this morning, Trump himself said the program will remain on pause until “Radical Left Democrats open up government.”

Families relying on SNAP benefits aren’t cackling maniacally as they run off to Walmart to spend American tax dollars on junk food, as many in MAGAverse would have you believe. (Although even if they were, may I remind you that Trump served McDonald’s at the White House?)

They’re also not all unemployed Democrats living in “inner cities,” as Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville apparently believes, or “smoking crack,” as Louisiana Representative Clay Higgins has claimed.

They’re members of the military, the disabled, or employed but not earning enough to get by. They’re 752,200 residents of Alabama who might be shocked to hear Tuberville’s derisive description of their needs. They’re ordinary people, often struggling due to unforeseen setbacks and circumstances often entirely out of their control.

Safety net programs like SNAP have long set America apart as a country with compassion; one that takes care of its own. You might even say it’s a telltale sign that a country values human life.

I was initially ashamed to even be applying for SNAP. As so many do, I saw needing government help as a personal failure. I had to hide in the bathroom to cry after my son asked, for the umpteenth time, why our fridge was so “sad-looking” and empty, or when we’d get his favorite strawberries again.

To make sure my son doesn’t waste away after his tiny body spent most of this year battered by the side effects of chemo, I’d do anything. We aren’t abusing the system or taking advantage of taxpayers; we’re relying on a program that’s designed to help us pick ourselves up again.

But apparently we’re everything that’s wrong with America today, at least in the eyes of those gleefully bashing low-income families. And to those people, I say: Your fear is showing.

Because underneath all your gloating and those cruel memes, it seems fairly obvious that targeting SNAP beneficiaries is just a way of distancing yourself from the reality that bad things can and do happen all the time, to anybody. That you, too, could find yourself falling on hard times as the result of an unexpected medical diagnosis or tragic accident.

And instead of empathy and understanding, you, too, could find yourself as the punchline of the cruel joke that is “Make America Great Again.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-message-to-maga-from-one-snap-family-stealing-your-tax-dollars/?

[phkrause]

11 rumors about SNAP we've investigated

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known as "food stamps," is the country's largest anti-hunger initiative.

https://www.snopes.com/collections/snap-food-stamps-collection/?