If one thing is true, it’s that Maine Representative Chellie Pingree wants to make sure people are fed during the government shutdown. Along with other House Democrats, she’s calling on the USDA personally to continue SNAP benefits. During this government shutdown and disagreements from House Republicans, many Americans will be going without food. Chellie says that the money is there, but people just can’t access it because the government is making it difficult.
TikToker @dear_druh.11 shared a video captioned, “We have 5 billion in reserves specifically for SNAP & DT is the 1st president in US history to DENY food to citizens.” In the video, Chellie Pingree can be seen talking to an audience about the USDA and its benefits. She says, “We are not cutting SNAP because we are shut down. We are cutting SNAP because the administration has decided not to spend the reserves at the USDA in November.” She goes on to say, “We have the money.” Chellie then adds, “In case you haven’t heard, we had $20 billion to give to Argentina, and we’re building a new ballroom on the White House. So, we seem to have plenty of money.”
Chellie makes a lot of good points in her desperate plea to the USDA. Unfortunately, the government stands by the fact that it just doesn’t have the funds to help people. Because of this, it’s possible some people are going to starve. In a department memo for a shutdown plan, the USDA says it can’t use its contingency fund of $5 billion. Why? They claim they can only use the funds for regular benefits when amounts have been “appropriated for.” Apparently, the fund is not available to support “regular benefits” because the “appropriation” doesn’t exist during the shutdown. USDA claims it won’t be reimbursed if it distributes these benefits in desperate times. Sounds an awful lot like a government that can do something but won’t do something.
As one commenter mentioned on the video, “So, there is $5B in reserves for food stamps. The administration doesn’t have to stop food stamps in November. BUT he is. He legit is causing the poor to starve.” Another pointed out, “Foster children. Home childcare caregivers use food stamps. This is going to BREAK DOWN THE ENTIRE ECONOMY.” Many states, like Virginia, have scrambled to come up with ways to use their own emergency funds to provide benefits to their people. However, other states are at a standstill, and benefits won’t be distributed come November. It’s a scary time for so many people with no current end in sight.
