Leaving people hungry for political points

Having access to food isn’t a privilege. Eating is a human right. The Trump administration rejects that reality. Administration officials overruled a portion of the 2019 Farm Bill. Nearly 700,000 people risk losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

More Stringent Work Requirements

SNAP was once known as food stamps. A “billionaire” president (and his family) profiting from his office wants poor people to starve. A new rule implements stringent SNAP work requirements that Congress previously rejected.

A Welfare Queen

Dehumanizing and demoralizing poor people to yield political capital isn’t new. Peddling a fairy tale about a welfare queen helped get President Ronald Reagan elected.

Throwing people in need under the bus helped satisfy a conservative faction of President Bill Clinton’s base. Research shows many SNAP recipients do work. In fact, as the Walton family bathe in their billions, many Wal-Mart employees rely on welfare benefits.

Decimating Family Farms

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s ill-conceived trade war with China has largely decimated small family farms. By contrast, large agribusinesses are reaping loads of corporate welfare.

As the rich get richer, farmers are seeing their dreams dying in the field. As the rich get richer, poor people — working or not — must wonder from where their next meal will come.

Food shouldn’t be treated as a reward. Even dogs get three square meals without clocking in.