SNAP is a safety net, not a jobs program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is supposed to keep Americans from going hungry in the world’s richest country. It’s not designed for stimulating the economy or propping up stores, truckers or farmers. Nor should it be a bargaining chip for ending a government shutdown.
Every reasonable person agrees that no one in the United States should starve, which is why it’s a genuine problem that SNAP funding is scheduled to lapse on Saturday, prompting stopgap measures by a bipartisan mix of governors and a lawsuit brought by Democrats to force the Trump administration to tap emergency funds.
At the same time, there are legitimate debates about the best ways to feed the needy, how many should qualify and how much they should get. In the 197

 The Washington Post Opinions
 The Washington Post Opinions
 KPTV Fox 12 Oregon
 KPTV Fox 12 Oregon NBC News Video
 NBC News Video AlterNet
 AlterNet WMUR Politics
 WMUR Politics Raw Story
 Raw Story WFVX WVII News
 WFVX WVII News WBOY 12 News Politics
 WBOY 12 News Politics ABC News
 ABC News Detroit Free Press
 Detroit Free Press