Schiff, AOC Lambasted for Misrepresenting Trump Admin’s New Food Stamp Rules

Under Obama, being on food stamps was portrayed as “cool” and even something to aspire to.  After all, one could get lobster and a host of other luxury food items via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The Obama administration urged everyone who could remotely qualify to enroll. In fact, Obama vastly expanded food stamps eligibility and the number of food stamp recipients.

What American taxpayer living on a budget wasn’t thrilled to subsidize the indulgent appetites of the nation’s pajama boys and government-dependent Julias?  A vast number, as it turned out, including Trump voters.

President Trump campaigned, in large part, on reining in the economy-crushing policies of his predecessor, and he won, again in large part, on that platform.  Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced new rules that would begin to undo the damage Obama did to SNAP, and, of course, the left lost their minds.

USA Today reports:

In a move that will knock hundreds of thousands of people off the federal food stamp rolls, the Trump administration on Wednesday formally tightened work requirements for the program that helps feed more than 36 million Americans.

Eligibility for food stamps, known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is based on a formula that takes into consideration family size, citizenship status, household income and certain expenses. It can apply to individuals as well as families.

The new rule, which was finalized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, restricts states from exempting certain “work-eligible adults” without dependents from the steady employment requirement in order to receive SNAP benefits.

The change, which takes effect on April 1, 2020, does not apply to children and their parents, those over 50  (including the elderly), those with a disability or pregnant women.

When the rule change was first proposed in February, the USDA estimated that as many as 750,000 people  would be dropped from the program. It revised that figure on Wednesday to 688,000.

This figure is a small fraction of the number Obama added to taxpayer-subsidized food stamps program, but it’s a great start.

Note that the new rules do not apply to children, to families with children, to those over 49, or to the disabled or to pregnant women.  You can read the text of the rule here.

The actual facts, however, don’t matter to people like Democrat impeachment circus ringleader Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) or to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).  Both of whom completely misrepresent the new rules.

Trump is seeking to kick millions of families and children off food assistance.

Meanwhile, he's preparing to send another $14 billion to big agribusinesses to offset the damage from his trade war.

His values are clear: Welfare for corporations. Hunger for American families. https://t.co/v0VAR8ZC8X

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 5, 2019

My family relied on food stamps (EBT) when my dad died at 48.

I was a student. If this happened then, we might’ve just starved.

Now, many people will.

It’s shameful how the GOP works overtime to create freebies for the rich while dissolving lifelines of those who need it most. https://t.co/WOrYvhfPj4

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 5, 2019

Scoring political points with deliberate lies appears to be the go-to strategy of Democrats.  Happily, there are many people willing to point out their partisan hackery.

Schiff first because his tweet is truly bizarre.  The NY Times story he is responding to and that appears in his tweet says that “nearly 700,000” would lose access, yet Schiff simultaneously states that “millions of families and children” would do so.  You can’t make this stuff up.

Needless to say, people have thoughts.

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