USDA Seeks Hurricanes, Forgets Hunger is 'Emergency'
While 42 million Americans face losing food assistance due to a government shutdown, the USDA's memo, obtained by Axios, declares that emergency funds are strictly for 'true emergencies like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.' They even cite a hypothetical 'Hurricane Melissa' to justify hoarding funds from starving families. Conveniently, this distinction only applies when it's politically
expedient to pressure Congress, not when it's about feeding actual people. This isn't just bureaucratic inertia; it's a political weapon. The USDA's guidance is a 'salvo' to force a 'clean CR,' effectively holding vulnerable Americans hostage until Democrats bend the knee. It's a cruel game of chicken where the collateral damage is precisely those the government is supposedly designed to protect.
One might wonder, how many hypothetical hurricanes does it take to equal the real, immediate emergency of 42 million hungry citizens?