Food assistance for 42 million Americans is set to run out as soon as Friday due to the ongoing shutdown — but one Republican Congressman didn’t express much sympathy, telling those reliant on food benefits to “stop smoking crack.”
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides tens of millions of low-income Americans with an average of $187 per participant per month, according to the Department of Agriculture. Due to the government shutdown, which has dragged on since October 1, the department has said it doesn’t have the $8 billion needed to fund the program in November.
Democratic leaders from 25 states have sued the Trump administration to prevent aid from being disrupted and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have introduced legislation to keep SNAP, also known as food stamps, benefits flowing in November. But Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins took a different tack, seemingly placing blame on SNAP recipients.
“There are 22 million American households receiving SNAP benefits for groceries, at $4,200 per year on average. Try to get your head wrapped around how many pantries you can stock with $4200 dollars in properly shopped groceries,” he wrote on X Thursday.
“Any American who has been receiving $4,200 dollars per year of free groceries and does NOT have at least 1 month of groceries stocked should never again receive SNAP, because wow, stop smoking crack,” Higgins added, posting a photo of a fully-stocked pantry.
The program is meant to alleviate poverty and reduce food insecurity. There are strict eligibility requirements as well as limitations on what recipients can buy using food stamps. Using SNAP benefits, recipients can purchase fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, breads and other grocery items but they cannot buy alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, or marijuana, among other things.
Social media users criticized the Louisiana Republican’s post.
Sarah Stogner, the district attorney for the 143rd Judicial District of Texas, slammed Higgins’ finger-pointing.
“‘Stop smoking crack.’ Way to play to old stereotypes. How much do you spend annually on food? I bet you have no idea. When was the last time you personally did the grocery shopping for your family?” Stogner wrote in an X post.
Hours after Higgins’ post, President Donald Trump urged members of his party to end the shutdown by using the “nuclear option,” doing away with a filibuster that requires 60 votes for legislation to advance in the Senate.
“This will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen. It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” he wrote on Truth Social Thursday night.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has previously said he wouldn’t touch the filibuster rule.
A federal judge overseeing the case brought by 25 Democratic state leaders indicated Thursday that she would order the Trump administration to tap into a contingency fund to at least partially fund the food assistance program during the shutdown.
“Congress has put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency,” Talwani said at a Thursday hearing, according to the Washington Post.
