Washington Monthly Editor Bill Scher recently deconstructed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) fiery outburst on the Senate floor last weekend, in which Thune attempted to pin the shutdown of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits on Democrats.
“SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times! You voted ‘no’ 13 times!” Thune declared. “This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about!”
However, according to Scher, Thune’s statements were largely performative.
“Look, it’s fair to tag Democrats for being the instigators of the government shutdown, but not for President Donald Trump’s decisions that maximize the shutdown’s pain and hurt people who do not need to be hurt,” Scher wrote.
He noted that before the shutdown began nearly a month ago, the Department of Agriculture, led by Secretary Brooke Rollins, made it clear that the delivery of SNAP benefits need not be impacted. The details of that reality “were available here at this URL until at least October 10, according to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine,” Scher explained.
Moreover, Thune blocked legislation proposed by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) that would have funded SNAP benefits. “But Trump’s USDA has memory-holed it,” Scher said. When visitors now access that URL, they are instead met with a Republican attack ad against Democrats—content that Scher suggests “almost surely” violates the Hatch Act.
Thune asserted, “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
Contrary to these claims, Scher emphasized that SNAP benefits have never been disrupted during past government shutdowns, regardless of which party held the administration. Officials have consistently used available funding sources to prevent any break in benefits.
“Democrats shoulder no responsibility for Trump and Rollins cutting off SNAP benefits from those who need them to survive,” Scher argued. “You can’t even argue Democrats should have expected SNAP to be affected because USDA declared ahead of the shutdown that it wouldn’t.”
It’s also important to consider that the number of SNAP beneficiaries exceeds 40 million—more than a tenth of the U.S. population. Until very recently, the program enjoyed bipartisan support.
“Thune can save his performative rage for the people playing political games with people’s lives: Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Rollins,” Scher concluded.
https://www.rawstory.com/john-thune-2674255787/