Feds Remind Poor: No Food Without Red Tape
The USDA announced that everyone on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will now have to reapply, ending a pandemic-era waiver. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack heralds this as a return to “integrity” and “common sense.” Funny how “common sense” often translates to bureaucratic hurdles for the poor while systems for corporate welfare, like the hundreds of billions in tax breaks
and subsidies doled out annually, often require less verification than asking for a dollar for food. This reinstatement of paperwork adds a significant barrier for millions, risking benefit termination for those unable to navigate complex forms or meet new deadlines. Perhaps the same vigor for “integrity” could be applied to scrutinizing the $886 billion defense budget passed this year, much of it
flowing to contractors with questionable oversight. But then, those beneficiaries aren't typically struggling to put food on the table, are they?