Hakeem Jeffries digs in on SNAP blame-game with 42 million Americans' food benefits at risk
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled that an impending funding cliff affecting benefits for roughly 42 million Americans may not be enough to persuade Democrats to end the government...
By Fox News · Fox News
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled that an impending funding cliff affecting benefits for roughly 42 million Americans may not be enough to persuade Democrats to end the government shutdown . The top House Democrat spoke to reporters on Monday, Day 34 of the fiscal standoff that has paralyzed Congress and led to the closure of numerous federal offices and programs. He criticized the Trump administration for letting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits lapse on Nov. 1, but when asked if Democrats voting for the GOP federal funding bill would be the most prudent way to fix that, he said, "No." "The easiest way to fund SNAP is for the administration to do exactly what it's done in so many other instances, including the administration finding $40 billion in order to bail out their right-wing dictator-wannabe friend in Argentina," Jeffries said. "They found $40 billion and now want to claim that they can't find a cent in order to make sure that millions of Americans don't go hungry." FOOD STAMP BENEFITS FOR 42 MILLION AMERICANS IN JEOPARDY TODAY AMID SHUTDOWN He accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of making an "intentional, vicious choice" after the administration said it was not able to reshuffle funds into the program without putting benefits for other vulnerable Americans, including children, at risk. "Not a single American should go hungry. Not a single American. And it's the fault of Republicans that that is happening in this country right now," Jeffries said. It comes just after the Trump administration said it would use nearly all of what's in the SNAP emergency contingency fund to give food-stamp recipients 50% of their benefits for November, following a judge's ruling Friday." SCHUMER, DEMS CALL 'BULL----' ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT The administration previously argued that the contingency fund could only be used to replenish SNAP dollars after it was already appropr…