Isaac Saul (22:58)
Alright, that is it for the left and the right are saying. Which brings us to my take. First, most Republicans and Democrats seem to genuinely want to keep SNAP payments flowing. The Trump administration is asking for clearer direction from the courts on how to proceed, while trying to pressure Democrats to fold on their affordable Affordable Care act funding fight. And Democrats seem to be hoping that any pause or delay in SNAP payments forces Republicans back to the negotiating table, sparking a quick resolution. Either way, both sides clearly recognize the moral and political risks here, which is a good start. Second, I'm not entirely sure withholding SNAP funding is actually legal. Writers like David super under what the left is saying, have made this case pretty clearly, arguing that the Trump administration is essentially denying its own authority to dispute disperse the funds while waiting for clarity from the courts. I think super is right. The law stipulates that contingency funding for SNAP is to be used when regular funding runs out and the funds are available and ready to use. The idea that Trump can impose tariffs on nearly every country in the world refused to spend congressionally authorized funding and fine cash for the military during the shutdown, but can't possibly find A way to fund SNAP without clear direction from a judge is self evidently absurd. Third, and perhaps most importantly, we may finally have a defining issue for this shutdown. A few weeks ago, I noted that one of the things that made this shutdown peculiar was that both sides didn't even agree on what issues they were trying to solve. Democrats have tried to make it about expiring Obamacare subsidies, but Republicans have so far waved that issue away. Republicans have tried to get Democrats to fold by threatening federal job cuts, but Democrats haven't taken the bait and now SNAP will be the issue. It's awful, obviously that the poorest and most vulnerable Americans are being used as chess pieces, but a real off ramp absolutely requires. An issue like this that both sides find unacceptable will create a public outcry and will force everyone back to the table. And the louder the public outcry, the more pressure for a resolution. All of that might be considered good news if you want to see SNAP funding continue or a resolution to the shutdown comes. The bad news, though, is basically everything else. Regardless of what you think the role of the federal government should be, that we are now staring down a desperate inability to serve the needy amid the world historic wealth we have in the United States is an utter failure of society and governance. Some food pantries are already experiencing huge lines. Philanthropic leaders say it won't be long before they can't meet the needs of the hungry. And in the meantime, our actual representatives, members of Congress whose job it is to solve this stuff, are sitting at home. The House is not met for legislative business in over six weeks, and the Senate is closed. I've also noticed that the commentary has suddenly shift to ways we might reform snap. Some commentators above have even started proposing ideas for changing the program, either by tightening eligibility further or aiming to cull the number of people receiving benefits. Of course, snap, like any government program, isn't perfect. But what are we actually doing here? This shutdown is not about reforming snap. There's no debate in Congress about reforming snap. Trump and Republicans already passed a bill that changed the program's eligibility. If people want SNAP reformed, great. Congress should get back to work and do that. It's also not something I'd view as a top priority. SNAP is a pretty incredible program. It is ballooned, yes, and of course we want fewer people on it. In a perfect world, the program wouldn't need to exist at all. But as long as people in our country live in poverty, we'll need programs to help them. Snap costs $100 billion a year for context, Veteran affairs medical care cost the federal government about $116 billion. Put differently, SNAP accounts for roughly one and a half cents of every federal dollar spent, with benefits coming out to about $6 per person per day. If you asked me what percentage of my tax dollars I would want to go to keeping people from going hungry, I'd probably give you a number higher than 1.5%. A government program this large will always come with some fraud, but most people who use these benefits truly do need it. For the 41 million people living on Snap, it's a difficult and frugal existence. The program is also efficient. 93% of its funds go to households, with the rest going to support admin and employment. And in the world of philanthropies, that's really good. SNAP also reaches nearly every corner of society. It benefits both working class families and retirees, single parents and the disabled, military, veterans and children, and in red and blue states. These people deserve our sympathy and aid, especially at such an efficient cost. So now what? First and foremost, Trump should follow the law. He should act swiftly to shore up the funding lapse and keep dollars flowing to a program that helps the poorest American. It's not like he's been shy about flexing executive authority so far, and acting decisively here would be more legally supported than doing nothing. Second, Democrats and Republicans need to recognize that this standoff is now inflicting real pain on tens of millions of Americans. SNAP benefits are in danger, travel is a nightmare, and the government's functionality is slowly but considerably degrading. Congress needs to show up in Washington, D.C. to talk to each other and get through the impasse they need to do their jobs. Finally, we the people actually need to step up. I rarely do this kind of thing in tangle, but I struggle to imagine a better opportunity to put out a call to action. Remember, this program touches every kind of person you can imagine, from every political background, in every state of every class, race and creed. SNAP has to exist because it's hard to get people to consistently support private solutions with any kind of reliability. If private and nonprofit efforts were enough, we wouldn't need the government. Right now, though, Americans can fill the gap. My son's daycare is collecting donations to support local programs helping people whose benefits may lapse. I can almost guarantee there are food pantries in your area who need help. Find them. Donate if you can, volunteer if you can, and raise awareness among your community. In a nation of doers, we don't have to rely solely on our elected representatives to do the good work. Indeed, it's evident that we can't. Americans can keep the pressure on the President and Congress to sort this mess out while also stepping up in the places we call home to support the people who need it. All right, that is it for my take. Our managing editor Ari Weitzman has a dissent, so I'm going to send it over to him and I'll be back for your questions answered.
