Once again, FOX News has completely mischaracterized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), claiming that the President is \u201cbuying votes\u201d by keeping millions of Americans on the SNAP rolls despite the \u201cfull economic recovery.\u201d \u00a0That statement is demonstrably false and racially tinged.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s why it\u2019s false:<\/p>\n
First, whether or not an individual person is enrolled in SNAP is ultimately the responsibility of state governments, most of which are now run by conservative Republican governors. The federal government sets broad SNAP eligibility guidelines but states actually \u201cenroll\u201d people.<\/p>\n
Second, the President isn\u2019t running for office again. As he noted in his recent State of the Union address, he\u2019s already won two campaigns and is finally free to carry out the remainder of his term focused on substance over politics. So, the claim that he\u2019s keeping people on the SNAP roles to buy their votes is absurd on its face.<\/p>\n
Third, out of the 20 states with the highest rates of SNAP participation, 16 voted for Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential race and the same states overwhelmingly voted for Senator John McCain in 2008.<\/p>\n
Fourth, the SNAP rolls rose during the presidencies of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama because poverty rose during both presidencies, even in times that the stock market was soaring.<\/p>\n