In the aftermath of the unnecessary and idiotic government shutdown and the noisy and inane screams of blame from both sides, it's taken quite a lot of aspirin to get the headaches to subside long enough to pick a winner of this first award for November ... but I've managed it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, with a noisily flatulent blare of trumpets, I award the tinfoil and toilet paper crown of
The Right Cheek Ass Clown for November, 2025
.jpg)
to
The United States Department of Agriculture
During the ongoing shutdown of the government, the pain of the disruption of government services has fallen disproportionately on average Americans, and particularly those who benefit from programs designed to help manage the cost of health care and food. The Supplemental Allowance for Nutrition Program (or SNAP, formerly "food stamps") has helped tens of millions of low-income Americans to offset the rising price of food, but its benefits were cut off by the administration, which made multiple trips to court to prevent this aid from reaching its beneficiaries.
The SNAP program is administered by the US Department of Agriculture, whose Deputy Undersecretary Patrick Penn on November 8th ordered,
“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.”
Yes, you read that right ... states that had taken it on themselves to provide food aid for their citizens were ordered to "undo" the action, and notified that they could face unspecified "penalties" if they did not comply. In the true, legally vague style of Der Furor's administration, it was not clear if this directive applies to states that used their own funds, to ones that relied entirely on federal money, or both.
The leadership of your federal government used food as a weapon to try to enforce its will on the nation.
Now, I would be the last person to claim that there is no abuse in the SNAP system ... there almost certainly is (as there is in most federal programs). But the blanket cutoff of nutrition payments to those who actually rely on it indicates that the moral bankruptcy of this administration has reached a new low.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the Right-Cheek Ass Clown for November, 2025, is The United States Department of Agriculture, which was willing literally to take food away from United States citizens to force a desired political outcome.
I hope there's an especially hot corner of Hell being prepared for those who debased themselves in this despicable action.
Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. You know you need the laughs.
More thoughts then.
Bilbo
No comments:
Post a Comment