"Donald Trump and the Republican Party have long been at war with poor people. It's a weird enemy for the allegedly Christian leaders of the white wing to pick, but I guess MAGA Jesus is only capable of turning bread into bullets. In July, Trump's Dumb Cruel Bill cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."
"SNAP is the current iteration of the Food Stamp program, which first came into being during the Great Depression, was made permanent in 1964, and went nationwide in 1974. Almost ever since, it's faced attacks-and not just from Republicans. In 1996, neoliberal Bill Clinton announced the "end of welfare as we know it"-which just meant inflicting harsh new work requirements on people in need of government assistance, including food stamps-as he triangulated away the Democratic Party's soul."
"Trump's changes to the SNAP program are nasty and myriad (yep, he's cutting off refugees)-but I want to focus on the even stricter "work requirements" he and the well-fed dauphins who run Congress put in place. Among other petty cruelties, veterans, people who are homeless, and young adults transitioning out of foster care are now required to work in exchange for their meagre food-stamp allowance."
Republican policymakers enacted changes in July that cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP, reducing health and food assistance. SNAP originated during the Great Depression, was made permanent in 1964, and went nationwide in 1974, yet it has repeatedly faced attacks from both parties. The 1996 welfare reforms added harsh work requirements, and the recent changes further tighten rules, remove benefits for refugees, and expand mandatory work obligations to veterans, people experiencing homelessness, young adults leaving foster care, older people, and parents. The resulting hardship has been delayed but is expected to arrive soon.
Read at The Nation
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