Today is the 27th day of the federal government’s shutdown. I read some analysis of what’s happening behind-the-scenes, and I generally agree with this: Trump and his minions believed that Democrats would capitulate enough to give Republicans a somewhat broad win. Republicans didn’t expect Democrats to hold the line, be the adults in the room, and sit back as Republican voters got exactly what they voted for. The public largely blames Trump and the MAGA GOP for the shutdown as well. The negativity directed at the MAGA lunatics is going to get even louder if MAGA doesn’t make a deal. All SNAP benefits run out on November 1st. No food assistance for anyone, including white Republicans. Of course, the goal is to make everyone suffer, and they will suffer – millions of Americans, of all races, ages and political affiliation use SNAP benefits. We’re one of the richest countries in the world and millions of people are food-insecure, if not starving.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Saturday that food benefits under one of the country’s biggest social assistance programs will not be issued next month amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The shutdown is now in its 25th day, with Republicans and Democrats in Congress remaining at an impasse over how to fund and reopen the federal government.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a post on its website. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”
More than 41 million depend on the monthly payments, according to the USDA. In some states, like New Mexico, dependence on the program is as high as 21% of residents, it said.
The agency’s announcement came after more than 200 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday called on USDA to draw on its emergency reserves to fund November food benefits. However, according to a memo seen by Reuters, the department indicated that it would not do so.
Governors in Louisiana, opens new tab and Virginia declared states of emergencies this week to make funds available to help with hunger relief in anticipation of SNAP benefits not being issued next month.
I’m not expecting some big come-to-Jesus moment for Republicans. It will be similar to what’s happened with American farmers, the majority of whom voted for Trump and Republicans. Trump’s tariffs and sh-thole policies have completely devastated American farmers. But instead of swearing off Republicans and understanding the correlation between their votes and the damage done to their industry, they’re now just begging for Daddy Don to bail them out. It will largely be the same with the Republican voters on food stamps – there will be outrage, hopefully enough to end the shutdown, but those people will still worship Trump.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
