Florida Democrats Discover SNAP Only Works in Emergencies
Florida Democrats, according to The Hill, are urging Governor DeSantis to declare a SNAP 'state of emergency,' thereby unlocking federal food assistance. This comes years after Florida rejected federal waivers that would have streamed billions in food aid during the pandemic—a period when DeSantis was perfectly happy to declare other 'emergencies' for political optics and federal relief (see:
border policies, 'freedom' protests). Meanwhile, Senator Rick Scott, who has a documented history of voting against expanding social safety nets while benefiting from substantial corporate PAC donations, remains silent on the state's food insecurity crisis. (OpenSecrets.org shows Sen. Scott received over $1.7 million from corporate PACs in 2022 alone). It appears hunger only becomes an 'emergency'
in Florida when it's politically convenient or forced by a federal mandate. One might wonder, what exactly is the criteria for a basic needs crisis when a global pandemic wasn't enough?