Food Insecurity for Americans, Security Assistance for Israel
The Hill published an opinion piece warning that SNAP benefit cuts will leave millions of Americans “overworked and underfed.” A truly dire prediction for our own citizens, yet this urgent concern for domestic welfare often evaporates when weighed against geopolitical priorities. The same government that agonizes over $40 billion for food assistance routinely approves far larger sums like the
$14.5 billion for Israel in HR 815, passed in November 2023, or the $95 billion foreign aid package in April 2024. One might wonder why endless funds materialize for war abroad but vanish for hardship at home. This isn't a new phenomenon. While Americans tighten their belts, our elected officials continue to funnel billions to favored foreign entities. For context, the 2023 total SNAP spending was
~$110 billion. That's about what the US has sent in aid to Ukraine. And AIPAC, a lobbying group for Israeli interests, pumped over $23 million into congressional elections for 2022-2024 , ensuring a steady stream of votes for foreign military packages regardless of domestic suffering. It seems some citizens are more valuable than others – especially those with highly effective PACs.