Photo: Washington Post
Among the most irrational acts that President Trump has done, ranks serving fast food to our nation's athletes. Yes, our highly tuned athletic instruments (sports athletes) get to visit the White House only to be fine dined with Mc Donald's and other famous name brands. To top this class act, our cheeseburger eating President has decided to pursue saving money by cutting out various recipients from the SNAP funding. What?
According to Politico Agriculture, this brief message arrived in my email box regarding the cuts to the program:
ON WATCH FOR A FINAL FOOD STAMPS RULE: The Agriculture Department is planning to soon release its final rule to stiffen work requirements for millions of able-bodied adults on SNAP — a central piece of the Trump administration's broader effort to cutback on who qualifies for safety net programs.
This week? The White House budget office last week finished its review of the rule, and some SNAP policy watchers expect it to be released this week. A USDA spokesperson on Monday said the department plans to publish the final rule in the Federal Register "soon."
Stricter criteria for waivers: Under current law, ABAWDs can't receive SNAP benefits for more than three months during a three-year period, unless they're working or enrolled in an education or training program for 80 hours a month.
But many states waived this time limit to ensure broader access to the program during an uneven economic recovery. The Trump administration wants to tighten the criteria states must meet when applying for these waivers. Earlier this year, USDA estimated that 755,000 individuals would be dropped from SNAP if the proposal took effect.
State officials remain worried about the policy. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wrote to OMB on Nov. 20 asking for a meeting before the rule was cleared by the White House, citing "serious concerns."
"The impacts of these changes would be deeply harmful and far-reaching — not only for Washington, but for every state," wrote Inslee, echoing concerns raised by local officials across the country.
Farm bill flashback: It was just a year ago that President Donald Trump signed the farm bill into law (a farm bill that, Democrats often note, rejected a similar attempt to crackdown on work requirements). At the signing ceremony, Trump touted the coming ABAWD rule, saying, "I think, in the end, it's going to make a lot of people very happy." USDA formally released its proposed rule in February. The department received more than 140,000 comments , largely in opposition to the plan.
What's next? After the final rule is released, there are likely to be lawsuits.
NEW SNAP DATA: While we're here, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service on Monday released its updated report on the characteristics of SNAP households. The 160-page report says that about 7 percent of the individuals on SNAP are considered ABAWDs.
It is shocking to see that the president can stand up in front of a crowd of people and say that cutting the food aid to 755,000 Americans is going to make people happy. Who are these people who are going to be pleased with the expense of 755,000 Americans not receiving food assistance? Amazing.
The SNAP has drawn criticisms and questions from a variety of angles this year alone. Retailers have been under fire to give up SNAP data, which ultimately landed the issue in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The number of SNAP recipients has been under fire. Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post where the projection of ABAWD's would be as high as 3.1 million Americans. Luckily, the number has been dropped to 755,000 Americans. Which is still too many people to justify a small amount of savings to the Federal government over 10 years.
It is time for Americans to stand up and unite and demand that the government stop taking excessive amounts of money from their pockets. Additionally, saving small amounts of money over 10 years at the expense of starving 755,000 Americans is actually un-American. Asking the American consumer to pay for tariffs for a president's trade war, which did not need to be started in the first place is outrageous and excessive.
Stop trying to please a tiny fraction of the country's constituents at the expense of millions of American pocketbooks. Start implementing measures (laws) that actually benefit the American consumer and result in a higher quality of life.
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Trump Administration Cuts Food Stamp Program For 3.1 Million People To Save $25 Billion Over 10 Years - Why?
Does The Public Have The Right To Know Where SNAP Money Is Spent?
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