Editor’s note: On November 11, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot yet release full SNAP funds to recipients. Forty-two million people in the U.S are recipients of the supplemental food program (SNAP). This story below from ‘Ask Welfare Rights,’ discusses an earlier White House Order that SNAP benefits given out in February must be “undone” as they were unauthorized. ‘Ask Welfare Rights’ is a column by Marian Kramer and Maureen Taylor that appears on Facebook every Monday.
Lately, things unfolding in America can make one stand mute with no words that fit.
Today, national news outlets claim that the White House has demanded that Food Stamps distributed to eligible families/individuals this last past Friday & Saturday, be retrieved because that distribution was unauthorized. Sorry Ms. Johnson, that ‘meatloaf’ you prepared has to be returned to Meijers. Anyone else who received stamps, used them, cooked something, and fed someone, should just package the leftovers, and return these things to the store. Wrap them up first.
Read the national news story below exposing this madness:
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture said states that issued full November SNAP benefits to recipients following a court decision should “immediately undo” the distributions and failure to comply could result in the cancellation of future federal funds . . . To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized. Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025,” wrote Patrick A. Penn, Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Saturday regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Places of worship nationwide probably have mentioned a word or two about the millions of families without Food Stamps to some degree as efforts to box up food by volunteers of every faith are highlighted on every TV channel. The largest group receiving Food Stamps in America is still blond, blue-eyed children and their parents, followed by other low-income families, elders, disabled folks, and even veterans are on that list, but …OH WELL.
There are no words to respond to a governmental order that suggests FOOD STAMPS must be returned, so maybe a simple song is better.
How about …’My country, tis of thee’…sang in 1939 by the great Marian Anderson outside at the Lincoln Memorial? Nope…too much DEI. Maybe …”Which side are you on?” Nope…too much Union sounding. Maybe…”We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union — a more perfect union — a more perfecting union” …Nope… that’s not even a song, but it feels like too much democracy is being offered to undesirables.
Don’t know what song or what lyrics will fit this horrific moment when Food Stamps are called back, so maybe we are advised to just stand watch, knowing that at some point, silence can indicate complicity.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” … Nope…that’s not a song either. Hum-m-m-m…
