U.S. House Republicans are playing power games in blocking the increase to the debt limit. This is money Congress already legislated. Now they say, “Never mind”?
Putting work requirements on programs for the poor has little or no impact on employment. It results in the loss of those benefits for those who need it. Most people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are already working. That federal program actually subsidizes corporate employers that refuse to pay living wages, resulting in employees who qualify for government assistance. Want to save money on SNAP? Require employers to pay a living wage.
The GOP plan could mean the loss of SNAP benefits for 1 million older adults, without evidence it would boost their employment.
The loss of benefits due to the GOP plan, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would result in savings of about $120 billion over 10 years, or a little over $12 billion a year. Compare that to a study that shows that simply collecting unpaid taxes from the top 1% of households would bring in $175 billion a year.
The GOP isn’t really interested in increasing employment or saving federal money. Republicans seem to only want to wage class warfare against folks who are struggling. They seem to lack compassion for those less fortunate than themselves — a compassion deficit. For people who are poor enough to get these benefits, life is already hard. The House Republicans want to make it harder for no good reason, except to parade their power. Shame.
Amy Donohue
Lower Chanceford Township, York County
