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LOADINGERROR LOADING Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) on Thursday acknowledged that federal food benefits are set to expire as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, but he didn’t sympathize with the millions of impacted Americans — and advised them to “stop smoking crack.” The Louisiana Republican suggested as much on X, formerly Twitter, to furious reactions. “There are 22 million American households receiving SNAP benefits for groceries, at $4200 per year on average,” wrote Higgins. “Try to get your head wrapped around how many pantries you can stock with $4200 dollars in properly shopped groceries.” Advertisement He continued, “Any American who has been receiving $4200 dollars per year of free groceries and does NOT have at least 1 month of groceries stocked should never again receive SNAP, because wow, stop smoking crack.” Payments from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are set to expire Saturday. The Agriculture Department reported in July that 12.3% of U.S. residents relied on these benefits in 2024. In human terms, that means nearly 42 million people. “‘Stop smoking crack.’ Way to play to old stereotypes,” wrote one user Thursday on X. “How much do you spend annually on food? I bet you have no idea. When was the last time you personally did the grocery shopping for your family?” Advertisement Higgins appeared indifferent Thursday to the plight of his own constituents, as the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported in January that an estimated 847,100 residents in his own home state — or 18% — received SNAP benefits last year. The MAGA Republican previously supported President Donald Trump in contesting the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden before claiming Democrats stole Republican votes. Higgins was once again slammed Thursday for his baffling math. Advertisement “$4,200/year is $350 per month. With Trumps Inflation, that’s nothing,” wrote one user on X, with another person similarly commenting: “That’s about $80 a week. This is a great way of telling us you haven’t actually been to a grocery store in years.” Others noted that the $4,200 figure Higgins used isn’t accurate for many SNAP households — and that representatives like him receive up to $79 a day for food and incidentals when Congress is in session. SNAP recipients, on average, receive just over $6 a day in assistance. The government shutdown began Oct. 1 after Republicans voted against a Democratic spending bill that would extend the subsidies for people who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. GOP leadership has repeatedly blamed only Democrats. Advertisement On Friday, a federal judge said the Trump administration is falsely maintaining that they can’t pay food benefits for November. The judge, Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, stopped short of ordering the administration to do so. Advertisement Forget BallroomsHelp Build aNewsroom Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Become a HuffPost Member When power gathers under golden ceilings, real journalism stands outside, asking the questions that matter. Join HuffPost Membership and keep independent reporting strong for everyone. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.
