Texas Representative Suggests Those Who Need Public Assistance Should Be Forced to Work for It
Republican U.S. Congressman Jodey Arrington of Texas this week decided a House hearing debating the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was the perfect time to pick and choose a Bible verse to deny the poor food stamps.
After listening to several anti-hunger experts testify on the crisis of food insecurity across the country, including one from a state food bank, a human services agency, and a budget and policy think tank, Rep. Arrington announced he would take five minutes to deliver his own remarks.
“The Scripture tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3-10, he says, ‘For even when we were with you we gave you this rule: If a man will not work he shall not eat.’ And then he goes on to say, ‘We hear that some among you are idle,'” the Texas Congressman preached.
Republicans, like Rep. Arrington, are hell-bent on adding work requirements to as many public assistance programs, including Medicaid, as they can. That, quite frankly, is insane. Less than one-third of people receiving Medicaid assistance are actually able to work. Many are elderly, or children, or disabled – which is why they need Medicaid in the first place.
Rep. Arrington was trying to jam a cherry-picked Bible passage to fit his own prejudices, namely, that poor people are lazy, or, as The Washington Post, which first reported this story says, many Republicans think those utilizing food stamps are “freeloaders.”
“But policy experts say that is not the case. Many unemployed adults on SNAP simply cannot work, they say. Those include the mentally ill, the borderline disabled and veterans,” The Post reports.
(While we’re on the subject of veterans, President Trump should take some of his requested $54 billion military budget increase and give it to our service members. Increase their pay. There are far too many military families who literally cannot eat while one or even both parents are risking their lives to protect us. They deserve better.)
“According to the Department of Agriculture, nearly two-thirds of SNAP recipients are children, seniors and people with disabilities,” The Post continues. “Of the remaining third, the vast majority are employed. According to the USDA, only 14 percent of all SNAP participants work less than 30 hours per week.”
Local surveys of SNAP users have shown that many adults who are not working have recently been released from jail — or are homeless, veterans, noncustodial parents, people with undiagnosed mental illnesses and teenagers aging out of the foster care system.
Still more may lack the skills or education needed to obtain work in their community — particularly if their community has a high unemployment rate, said Stacy Dean, the vice president for food assistance policy at the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
One Twitter user says Rep. Arrington will not hold a town hall, so his constituents will have to attend a $20 a plate luncheon if they want to see him:
Others on Twitter responded to Rep. Arrington, many citing other, more relevant Bible quotes:
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