Furious SNAP Recipients Lash Out at Democrats for 'Wasting' Their Sacrifice on Shutdown Deal
A group of eight Democratic senators, including Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cut a deal with Republican leadership to end the government shutdown. However, this agreement came without forcing Republicans to agree to any of the major concessions Democrats said they were fighting to secure, which included a reversal of Medicaid cuts and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The deal has left tens of millions of Americans at risk of seeing their premiums skyrocket, and an estimated 7.8 million low-income Americans will outright lose their insurance through Medicaid. This move has been met with fierce backlash from SNAP recipients who feel that their sacrifice was for nothing.
"I'm furious," said Delight Worthyn, a 67-year-old SNAP recipient living in New Haven, Connecticut, who suffers from lupus. "We sacrificed and we would continue to sacrifice because we understood what the stakes were. People's healthcare was at stake, but they just wasted it all."
Worthyn feels betrayed by Democrats for not taking into account the overlap between SNAP recipients and people who receive Medicaid and their insurance through the Affordable Care Act. She believes that this oversight has put her own health at risk.
"It's insane, and it's insulting, and it's also just so wildly out of touch," Worthyn said.
Other SNAP recipients have expressed similar outrage, citing the lack of consideration from Democrats for the potential consequences of their actions. Sasha Slansky, a 33-year-old full-time master's student who works odd jobs to pay her bills, stated, "Don't talk about me and my food insecurity to justify kicking people like me off of my health care."
Despite the agreement, some recipients have started receiving full or partial benefits from the SNAP program. However, these small victories are being overshadowed by the widespread disappointment among those who felt that their sacrifice was for nothing.
The Intercept spoke with four SNAP recipients who expressed frustration and anger over the Democrats' decision to cave on major concessions during the shutdown deal. They claimed that they had made significant sacrifices in order to help ensure access to healthcare for millions of Americans, only to see their efforts seemingly go unnoticed by lawmakers.
"We were making a small sacrifice, skipping meals because we felt like we were doing something to help save people, and that we were doing something good for the country," said Natalie, a delivery driver from Washington. "It feels like it wasn't for anything."
Natalie expressed disappointment in Democrats' decision-making process during the shutdown deal, stating that they should have built on their electoral victories in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and California earlier this month to pressure Republicans.
The situation highlights the deepening divide between lawmakers and the people they claim to represent. SNAP recipients feel betrayed by the lack of action taken by Democrats to address their concerns, while others are left wondering why their sacrifice seems to have been for nothing.
As millions of Americans face uncertainty about their healthcare and financial futures, it remains to be seen whether this deal will ultimately benefit those in need or if lawmakers will find a way to rectify the damage caused by their actions.
A group of eight Democratic senators, including Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cut a deal with Republican leadership to end the government shutdown. However, this agreement came without forcing Republicans to agree to any of the major concessions Democrats said they were fighting to secure, which included a reversal of Medicaid cuts and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The deal has left tens of millions of Americans at risk of seeing their premiums skyrocket, and an estimated 7.8 million low-income Americans will outright lose their insurance through Medicaid. This move has been met with fierce backlash from SNAP recipients who feel that their sacrifice was for nothing.
"I'm furious," said Delight Worthyn, a 67-year-old SNAP recipient living in New Haven, Connecticut, who suffers from lupus. "We sacrificed and we would continue to sacrifice because we understood what the stakes were. People's healthcare was at stake, but they just wasted it all."
Worthyn feels betrayed by Democrats for not taking into account the overlap between SNAP recipients and people who receive Medicaid and their insurance through the Affordable Care Act. She believes that this oversight has put her own health at risk.
"It's insane, and it's insulting, and it's also just so wildly out of touch," Worthyn said.
Other SNAP recipients have expressed similar outrage, citing the lack of consideration from Democrats for the potential consequences of their actions. Sasha Slansky, a 33-year-old full-time master's student who works odd jobs to pay her bills, stated, "Don't talk about me and my food insecurity to justify kicking people like me off of my health care."
Despite the agreement, some recipients have started receiving full or partial benefits from the SNAP program. However, these small victories are being overshadowed by the widespread disappointment among those who felt that their sacrifice was for nothing.
The Intercept spoke with four SNAP recipients who expressed frustration and anger over the Democrats' decision to cave on major concessions during the shutdown deal. They claimed that they had made significant sacrifices in order to help ensure access to healthcare for millions of Americans, only to see their efforts seemingly go unnoticed by lawmakers.
"We were making a small sacrifice, skipping meals because we felt like we were doing something to help save people, and that we were doing something good for the country," said Natalie, a delivery driver from Washington. "It feels like it wasn't for anything."
Natalie expressed disappointment in Democrats' decision-making process during the shutdown deal, stating that they should have built on their electoral victories in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and California earlier this month to pressure Republicans.
The situation highlights the deepening divide between lawmakers and the people they claim to represent. SNAP recipients feel betrayed by the lack of action taken by Democrats to address their concerns, while others are left wondering why their sacrifice seems to have been for nothing.
As millions of Americans face uncertainty about their healthcare and financial futures, it remains to be seen whether this deal will ultimately benefit those in need or if lawmakers will find a way to rectify the damage caused by their actions.
oh my god this is just heartbreaking... I can only imagine how frustrating and hurtful it must feel for these SNAP recipients who made huge sacrifices to help ensure access to healthcare for millions of Americans, only to see those efforts seemingly go unnoticed and unappreciated by lawmakers 
. It's like their struggles and sacrifices weren't seen or heard by anyone in power 
. I'm so sorry that people like Delight and Sasha are having to deal with this kind of betrayal and disappointment 
. Can you even imagine how scary it must be for them to think that they might lose their insurance and healthcare benefits? 
It's just not right, and I hope that lawmakers will take responsibility for their actions and make things right soon 
.
.
They were literally sacrificing their own well-being (like skipping meals) so that others could have access to healthcare... and what did they get in return? 
It's insane that Democrats would "waste" their sacrifice like this 
it's just not right. I get that politics can be complicated, but come on! You'd think lawmakers would have some basic empathy for people like Delight Worthyn who lives with lupus 
.
nope. That's not how it works.
, and the rest of us are getting hurt in the process. 
and I'm like totally hooked man... what was I saying? Oh yeah, so the whole government shutdown thing is super messed up 
️. This whole shutdown thing is like trying to find the perfect brew...