Famine Averted: SNAP Cuts Reduced From Disastrous to Merely Cruel
The benevolence of the state knows no bounds — the USDA now says 1 in 8 Americans getting food aid might get up to 65% of their benefits, not just half. This 'correction' comes after weeks of uncertainty and a government shutdown that brought us to the brink. Meanwhile, despite this domestic austerity, the same administration secured a record $3.8 billion package in aid for Israel in 2020 (source:
Congressional Research Service, "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel"), prioritizing foreign military funding while its own citizens consider which meal to skip. One might wonder at the urgency shown when feeding a populace versus arming an ally. The 'error' in calculating how much to cut from the mouths of struggling families raises questions about where the government's operational efficiency truly lies.
Perhaps if hungry Americans had a potent lobby like AIPAC (which spent $3.5 million on lobbying in 2020, source: OpenSecrets.org), these 'errors' might be corrected a little more quickly, or preferably, avoided altogether.