They are so "pro-life", they'll starve kids to prove it.
Several Republican-led states are declining federal funds meant to feed hungry kids...
I read an article about a year ago about federal funds being dispersed to hungry Missouri kids a full year after the feds sent the money.
Yes, an entire year later. Better late than never, I reckon, but something was off about this story.
I couldn’t understand why the state of Missouri would not send low-income children the funds on time, but after reading an article in the Missouri Independent, I realized that it wasn’t an evil plan to starve kids, but a case of pure incompetence on the part of Missouri government, particularly the GOP.
Then, another year passed without Missouri lawmakers finding a way to disperse federal funds for hungry kids and the state refused 42 million (MILLION) in funding for the most vulnerable children. Lawmakers declined the funds rather than figuring out how to get it to kids.
But, wait…there’s more.
I am writing this on December 27, 2023 and the deadline to apply for 51 million (MILLION) in federal funds for hungry kids is in five days…and it appears the state has still not figured out a way to send money to disadvantaged kids. It is honestly starting to feel like an evil plan at this point.
Now, if this problem were just contained to Missouri, you could write this off as an incompetent GOP supermajority running our state into the ground and harming hungry kids in the process. But, Missouri is not the only state declining money instead of feeding kids. It’s a Republican-led state problem and it’s an awful thing to witness.
It looks like Nebraska will also refuse the money even though a U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that Nebraska has a higher rate of food insecurity than the national average of any neighboring state except Missouri. (Of course it’s Missouri setting the low bar.)
A spokesman for the Nebraska Health and Human Services agency stated, “The summer EBT is a program designed from the pandemic-era. The pandemic has ended, and pandemic-era programming no longer fits the needs of Nebraskans.”
Cool, so refuse money to feed hungry kids because it doesn’t fit your agenda?
But, I have saved the best for last. Ope, I mean the worst. The absolute worst.
Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds stated, “An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.” Yes. that is a real quote from a real Governor. My god…
The Governor of Iowa stated that poor kids in her state are obese and thus need no money for food during the summer.
The cruelty is the point, friends.
~Jess
Iowa's governor has earned the 2023 Scrooge of the year award by issuing a press statement on the Friday before Xmas, that she is turning down money not only for the alleged obesity reasons, but because of admin costs. Data compiled by Feeding America reveals that nearly 376,000 people are struggling with hunger in Iowa, 122,000 of whom are children (larger numbers of children are eliglbe for free or reduced lunches in Iowa). That translates to one in eight adults and one in six children in Iowa struggling with hunger. it is also likely that the governors’ proposed tax changes will not benefit those 376,000 people or at least not benefit them nearly as much as upper income earners in Iowa. Closing with admin costs, the Gov has spent over a million dollars this last year on raises to her own staff
Being originally from Missouri, I can't say the actions of the GOP, surprise me. It seems that only children in the womb are the ones
that matter. All children should matter ALL the time.
Do any of these politicians have any clue what hunger really is? Do they know healthy foods are much more expensive, thus producing overweight children? Do they ever wake up not knowing when or if they will eat today?
No matter, just don't bother the GOP about little kids with empty bellies.