Former President Barak Obama tweeted Friday that more than 47 million Americans, including one in five children, do not have stable and affordable access to healthy food. Obama noted that more families are relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as the cost of living continues to rise.
Republicans are under pressure on benefits
In the same series of tweets, Obama also stated, “Republicans must act now to ensure these benefits are available to people who depend on them. If they don’t, millions of children, seniors, and low-income Americans will go hungry before the holidays.”
Judge orders food aid campaign
Obama’s call for action came after two separate federal rulings Friday temporarily halted the administration’s attempt to suspend SNAP benefits. A judge in Massachusetts made a similar decision in a case brought by 22 Democratic attorneys general and the District of Columbia, while a judge in Rhode Island issued an injunction in a case brought by U.S. cities and nonprofits.
Related: USDA Says ‘November Well Dried Up’ for SNAP Benefits: ‘We’re Nearing a Tipping Point…’
Following the statements, Governor of Minnesota Tim Waltz tweeted that “a court has ordered America First’s president to feed the hungry.”
Trump responds to court rulings
Late Friday, Chairman Donald Trump responded to Truth Social, saying government attorneys “don’t think we have the legal authority to pay for SNAP with some of the funds we have available.” “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government,” Trump said, adding that he had instructed lawyers to ask the court for clarification on how SNAP should be funded.
The US president also shared the minority leadership in the Senate Chuck Schumer‘s office number and urged SNAP recipients to call Senate Democrats.
Schumer had previously stated that Trump “lying and causing a hunger crisis,” accusing the president of “using Americans as hostages.”
Political dispute over responsibility for the shutdown
Democratic Gov. Walz previously posted“Trump is the first president ever to let people go hungry during a shutdown,” noting that Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate.
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