The first 10 months of President Donald Trump’s presidency have been riddled with unprecedented, unjustifiable cuts to social safety nets. The Republican battle against the well-being of vulnerable Americans has culminated in the longest government shutdown in the history of the U.S. — a direct consequence of Trump’s deadly incompetence.
On Oct. 1, Congress failed to pass a bill extending the federal government’s budget. Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, want to pass a stopgap bill that would unconditionally continue to fund the government until a further vote is held. However, Democrats are using the Republicans’ slim majority in the Senate to their advantage, pushing to extend Medicaid subsidies set to expire in January. Medicaid is primarily used by children, the elderly, those with disabilities and low-income citizens.
The federal government is the single largest employer in the U.S., providing work to over three million civilian workers. As the government shutdown continues, over 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed and will miss multiple paychecks.
In a nation where 67% of workers are living paycheck to paycheck, unable to save after covering basic necessities, this shutdown will be detrimental. Trump warned federal workers that backpay for paychecks missed during the shutdown is not a guarantee, a vile display of disregard for every furloughed federal employee and a direct contradiction to a law passed under Trump’s first administration.
As the shutdown has continued, funding allocated for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ran dry, sending states scrambling to feed their most vulnerable citizens. State assistance may not meet the level provided by the federal government, as some states implement programs that exclude “able-bodied” adults who are not primary caregivers for children or their elderly relatives. Nonprofit agencies and Democratic attorneys have sued the federal government to release SNAP payments scheduled for November and have won favorable rulings, causing states to release payments to millions of recipients immediately.
On Nov. 9, the Supreme Court issued an emergency injunction on court orders requiring SNAP disbursement. The Trump administration demanded that states claw back dispersed payments from SNAP recipients — one of the most heinous, unjustifiable actions of cruelty in Trump’s second term. These citizens cannot afford food, and Republicans are forcing them to give back the one ounce of hope they have received since the government shut its doors.
Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the executive. They hold the power to end the pain, anguish, fear and desperation caused by this government shutdown, yet they refuse to act.
