US Government 'Shutdowns' Are for Feeding Native Americans, Not Foreign Allies
While the AP details the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes resorting to shooting buffalo for food due to a 'government shutdown' disrupting SNAP benefits, Washington still manages to find billions for foreign military aid. One might recall Senator Mitch McConnell's 2023 declaration that "the most important thing going on in the world right now is assisting Ukraine." Apparently, feeding
marginalized citizens isn't as 'important' as sending another $61 billion overseas. (Source: AP News, Fort Peck Tribes face food shortages; Politico, McConnell on Ukraine aid) The irony here is palpable: the US government can't fund its most basic social safety nets without a 'shutdown' crisis, yet funds for perpetual wars and foreign allies never seem to hit a snag. How many 'shutdowns' would it
take to halt the $3.8 billion annual military aid to Israel, or the $14 billion emergency package recently approved? It seems 'fiscal responsibility' is a concept reserved exclusively for the most vulnerable at home, never for geopolitical projects abroad. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, Congressional Research Service, US Aid to Israel)