It's unbelievable to me that the current felonious Trump administration is playing games with peoples' lives.
Trump's failure to fund SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) that provides food aid for approximately 42 million Americans is illegal (according to two federal judges), insensitive, invalid and immoral (according to me), especially as the country endures Trump's government shutdown.
SNAP provides assistance through monthly rechargeable credit cards. About 1 in 8 Americans are served by SNAP in what is considered a major social safety net. It's what government does for its people when government works well.
Until now. So for the moment at least, we have hungry Americans. Hungry children. Who could have thought?
"The administration is choosing not to feed Americans in need, despite knowing that it is legally required to do so," said U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture committee that oversees SNAP.
She's right. Massachusetts judge Indira Talwani ruled the US Department of Agriculture has to pay for SNAP, writing that the suspension is unlawful. She ordered the government to advise the court by tomorrow whether it will use emergency reserve funds to provide reduced SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
A family of two can qualify for up to $536 a month in food aid.
"...suspension of SNAP payments was based on the erroneous conclusion that the Contingency Funds could not be used to ensure the continuation of SNAP payments," she wrote on Friday. "This court has now clarified that Defendants are required to use those Contingency Funds as necessary for the SNAP program."
In Rhode Island, judge John McConnell ruled that SNAP must be funded using at least the contingency funds. He asked for an update on Monday as well.
So I guess we'll learn something tomorrow about the cold, beating heart of Trump. SNAP or not to SNAP?
Meanwhile, Trump is apparently enjoying himself, thinking he can shift the blame for the shutdown and any subsequent horrors on the Democrats.
That would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Republicans control all three branches of government. That means in order to break the 60-vote filibuster (they only have 53), they have to negotiate and compromise with Democrats. So far, nada from the GOP.
Trump wasn't even in the country last week. He was wandering aimlessly through review halls in Japan accomplishing very little except further embarrassment. And when he did return to the United States, he held a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party for his wealthy donors at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. Talk about tone deaf.
This trip to Florida cost the American taxpayer $3.4 million, bringing the total to date to $60.7 million that taxpayers spent on the 76 golf outings (so far) in his second term.
But he can't find the funds to feed his own citizens?
And it gets even more ridiculous. There is, of course, the $350 million destruction of the East Wing. He announced that the Lincoln bathroom in the White House has also been renovated.
And the man who so desperately wants to win a Nobel Peace Prize because, heck, President Obama did, is blowing up speedboats suspected of smuggling fentanyl, and doing it without due process or congressional approval. That makes at least 64 people who have died in these strikes. Trump is committing murder and needs to be in prison.
Not only might we be on the verge of a shooting conflict with Venezuela (Trump wants to overthrow the Nicolas Meduro regime), but also with Nigeria because he's claiming they are killing Christians.
Americans going hungry because of a cruel president. Others dying in international waters because of a heartless president. When did my country shift to some alternative reality where you can hear people joyfully claim, "That's what I voted for!"
Where am I?
