Aaaaah, we’re back to the welfare queen bullshit:
Much to the chagrin of Republican leadership, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins delivered a rare level-headed missive Friday for Americans struggling with expiring SNAP benefits.
“My message to America is first, the fact that your government is failing you right now,” Rollins told reporters. “That poverty is not red or blue, it is not a Democrat or Republican issue. Doesn’t matter who you voted for or even if you voted. That if you are in a position where you can’t feed your family, and you’re relying on that $187 dollars a month for an average family in the SNAP program, that we have failed you.”
Yes, and Republicans control all three branches of the government. Nice to see a Republican be honest for once.
However:
But that was a politically unsavory appeal for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who immediately jumped into recovery mode, attempting to twist Rollins’s words to fit the party message.
“And it’s, um, clarified that when she says, ‘We have failed you,’ she means, ‘We the Democrats,’ OK?” Johnson said.
Lol.
- SNAP targets those in greatest need. Among those participating in the program, most are children, elderly persons, or individuals with a disability. In fact, 86 percent of all SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, elderly person, or person with disabilities. In addition, about 92 percent of all SNAP benefits go to households with income at or below the federal poverty line.
- SNAP recipients represent different races and/or ethnicities. White: about 37 percent; African American: 26 percent; Hispanic: 16 percent; Asian: 3 percent; and Native American: about 2 percent. (About 16 percent of participants are categorized as “race unknown.”)
- Many SNAP households have earned income. Almost one-third of SNAP households have earned income, though only 20 percent of households have gross monthly income above the federal poverty line. The average SNAP household’s monthly gross income is $872 and net income is $398.
While the SNAP cutoff will reverberate from coast to coast, red states may feel it more acutely. In the 30 states that Trump carried last year, 25 of them were more reliant on SNAP than the national average. While the national average of SNAP recipients stands at 12%, an analysis from the Center for Policy and Budget Priorities shows that deep-red states like Louisiana—home to House Speaker Mike Johnson—surpass that with 18%.
He’s happy to see the children in his district go hungry. He’s a big Christian, dontcha know?