As the government shutdown slogs toward the new year, fear for America’s most vulnerable -- infants, children, the elderly, and disabled -- inches into daily conversations, and in turn, is exploited by America’s drive-by media as another reason to hate the current administration. The crisis of the day is that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps, may be affected.
This catastrophe has a start date of January 31 – when benefits will officially enter a state of limbo for 38 million Americans enrolled in SNAP – but if one reads or watches the hysterics on display from the omniscient policy wonks employed by dispensaries of unverified gossip, people are already succumbing to starvation and neglect.
Sonny Perdue, Secretary of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency responsible for refilling SNAP debit cards, posted shutdown facts via press release on the government web page, stating:
“There may be a lapse in funding for the federal government, but that will not relieve USDA of its responsibilities for safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide. Our employees work hard every day to benefit our customers and the farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers who depend on our programs. During a shutdown, we will leverage our existing resources as best we can to continue to provide the top-notch service people expect.”
The sky is not falling on the barnyard. So perhaps it is time to deliver the facts to the villagers.
As Shutdowns Go…
Less than a week into the budgetary stalemate between House Democrats and President Trump over a scant $5 billion national security line item, the leagues of fear-mongers are in the full and coordinated throes of a spastic fit with attempts to shame the administration into caving on border wall funding.
But as shut downs go, this one is nowhere near longest in American history. That one took place in 1995-1996 and lasted for three weeks. It was an epic battle over partisan priorities, not unlike today.
Obama also shut down the government for 16 days in 2013, placing approximately 800,000 federal employees on furlough with another 1.3 million forced to work without a confirmed pay date to force socialized medical care, also known as Affordable Care Act, down the throats of Americans.
As recent history reveals, this shutdown – more a federal government “scale back” -- is nowhere near a crisis. But what is on the line could create a crisis of confidence in President Trump if he veers off course.
Games the Dems Play
Trump is a successful negotiator -- yet congressional Democrats have no clue how to engage in the art. They throw tantrums, renege on deals, utilize the media as a weapon, and avoid allowing any progression by this administration – no matter the collateral damage.
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) proudly snubbed Trump, in a meeting at the White House, celebrating their inability to find consensus for the American people they claim they represent. After the meeting, the two crowed: “We gave the president two options that would keep the government open. It’s his choice to accept one of those options or shut down the government.”
Schumer and Pelosi, in effect, represent only Democrats – not Americans – and they are to blame for the most spiteful and petty shutdown over a promise unfulfilled to a majority of the electorate.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell (R-SC) highlighted the lack of statesmanship and bi-partisanship, saying Democrats “refused to meet President Trump halfway and provide even one-fifth of the resources for the border they were willing to provide just a few months ago.”
Americans – the legal ones – want the wall, and the man was elected in part on that campaign promise. If the Democrats want to see federal employees back at their desks, perhaps they ought to try a wee bit of negotiation with the White House.
As stories of doom and destruction bud and blossom, blaming the Trump administration for the people starving in the streets due to SNAP interruption, keep this in mind: The federal government spends $70 billion a year to provide people with food stamps – including $3.6 billion annually in administration costs. Just one month of SNAP is a $6 billion enterprise -- $1 billion more than requested by the man attempting to build the wall to keep hard-working, tax-paying, patriotic, and legal Americans safe. Oh, the absurdity of this government shutdown and the absolute ridiculousness of the Democrats on the Hill.
President Trump, don’t flinch.
