GOP Anti-Abortion: Now Also Anti-EBT Cards for Low-Income School Kids

15 GOP-run States say no to EBT Cards

(Affects low-income kids during summer break)

Millions of American children could go hungry this summer in states that have opted out of a multi-billion dollar plan to help disadvantaged kids as reported on here from NEWSWEEK with this headline and a short video introduction (54-seconds citing OK state example):

“The States Keeping Their Children Hungry”

All U.S. states were offered the choice of whether to opt-in to the summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program run by the federal government ore not. 

The program gives additional funding to states taking part that will help children from low or no-income families.

Those eligible will receive an additional $40.00 per month, a total of $120 per child, to pay for groceries when school is out for the summer this year. The program, which was approved by Congress with bipartisan support, is expected to cost the federal government $2.5 Billion. 

The program is a full-scale implementation of plans introduced throughout the CoVID-19 pandemic.

AG Secretary Tom Vilsack (D-IA) said: “The experience of the pandemic showed us that when government invests in meaningful support for families, we can make a positive impact on food security, even during challenging economic times.”

Of the 35 states that opted into the program, 23 are led by Democratic governors and 12 are led by Republican governors. 

All of the remaining 15 states that declined the opportunity to participate in the program are led by Republican governors.

The deadline for states to confirm their participation in the program was January 1.

Those 15 GOP states that declined to take part in 2024 are:

AL; AK; FL; GA; ID; IA, LA, MS; NE; OK; SC; SD; TX VT; and WY.

According to the USDA, 12.8% of all U.S. households were food insecure in 2022, amounting to 17 million households.

Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as when a household has difficulty providing enough food for family members due to a lack of resources.

 “Feeding America,” one of the country's leading charities combating hunger and poverty told Newsweek that summer the EBT program will help feed around 20 million children over the summer months.

Vince Hall, Feeding America's Chief Government Relations Officer, told Newsweek: “This new program could not be starting at a better time. In 2022, more than 13 million children in the U.S.- 1 in 5 - were living in food-insecure homes.

This is a 44% increase from the prior year and the highest rate of child food insecurity since 2014.

The summer EBT program comes at a time when food insecurity among families with children is on the rise. Of those households who suffered from food insecurity in 2022, the USDA found that 3.3 million of them have children, that is up by one million from the year prior.

AG Secy. Vilsack also said: “It's sad. There isn't really a political reason for not doing this. This is unfortunate. I think governors may not have taken the time or made the effort to understand what this program is and what it isn't.”

Why did those GOP States Opt Out?

The opted-out states have given a variety of different reasons for declining the food assistance program.

§  Some voiced opposition due to administrative costs, however, the Federal government will pay the whole cost of the benefits and half the administrative costs.

§  Others cited a lack of desire to continue with pandemic-era aid.

§  Some expressed that they don't have faith in the Federal government to administer the program.

The states that will not participate in the summer EBT have faced criticism over their decision. Some states: IA and NE for example, already have their own state-run benefits programs for those struggling with the means to put food on the table for their children.

Poverty experts and advocacy groups have laid the blame on some GOP shear political beliefs and nothing else.

Dr. Annie Andrews, CEO of “Their Future, Our Vote,” said to NEWSWEEK: “SC is one of 15 states proudly rejecting new federal funding from the USDA that would help feed hungry children over the summer. The choice for AL and other Republican states to decline the program is politics at its very worst and is being used to score partisan political points.”

SC according to the USDA has an overall child poverty rate of 19.7%. In some SC counties, this rate goes as high as 39.5% that is over a third of all children in the area (from 2021 data).

SC GOP Governor Henry McMaster said in a press conference last month: “That was a COVID-related benefit. We've got to get back to doing normal business. We just can't continue that forever, but we're still continuing all the other programs that we have.”

My 2 Cents: That last comment by SC Republican Gov. McMaster is typical of most Republican state officials by wanting to see a national ban on abortions no matter the circumstances, yet they seem to have no problem of not feeding poor and low-income children after they are born to ensure that they have plenty of food.

Can’t get much more hypocritical than that I have to say – pitiful bunch those 15 GOP states – shame on them and shame on the voters for keeping them in office, too.

My earlier post is on this same topic here from Mississippi and Gov. Tate Reeves response. I note that Gov. Reeves seems to not have been missing many meals himself, um? No food problem with you, right Gov? Burp...

So, are we to surmise that those 15 GOP states have no low-income families with food problems for their kids during the school summer break? I serious doubt it.

Thanks for stopping by.