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Florida Congressman Randy Fine Vows to Block Welfare Benefits for Noncitizens: ‘If You Want Free Stuff, Go Home’
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Florida Congressman Randy Fine Vows to Block Welfare Benefits for Noncitizens: ‘If You Want Free Stuff, Go Home’

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Florida Republican Rep. Randy Fine announced this week that he plans to introduce federal legislation to bar noncitizens from accessing welfare programs, declaring that taxpayer-funded benefits should be reserved exclusively for American citizens, as reported by Fox News.

“I am going to introduce a bill to ban all non-citizens from any form of welfare. No Food Stamps. No Section 8 housing. No Medicaid. No Cash Assistance. Not one penny. Not one. If you want free stuff, go home,” Fine wrote in a post on X.

Fine’s proposal comes as national debates continue over taxpayer-funded benefits and the strain of illegal immigration on social services.

His legislation would apply to all categories of noncitizens, including those in the country illegally, visa holders, and individuals with temporary protected status.

The congressman, who previously served in the Florida House of Representatives, won a special election earlier this year to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

His election was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who at the time wrote on Truth Social, “Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!”

Trump has since reaffirmed his support, recently posting that Fine “is doing a fantastic job representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District” and giving him his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

Fine also recently introduced a separate measure to bar individuals with dual or foreign citizenship from serving in Congress, arguing that elected officials should hold allegiance solely to the United States.

“No person, without regard to whether that person is a United States national, may be elected to the office of Representative or Senator if that person is a national of any country other than the United States,” the bill reads.

Explaining the rationale, Fine stated, “In a globalized world, dual citizenship is more common than ever, and while that’s fine for private citizens, it’s not acceptable for lawmakers entrusted with America’s national interests.”

Fine’s welfare proposal is expected to face strong opposition from Democrats, who have supported extending access to public benefits for certain noncitizen groups, particularly in sanctuary states.

Republican lawmakers, however, have increasingly pushed to limit public assistance to citizens only, citing budget pressures and national security concerns.

Fine’s latest proposal aligns with President Trump’s broader immigration and fiscal priorities, which emphasize prioritizing Americans in public policy decisions and ensuring that federal aid programs are not extended to foreign nationals.

Fine has not yet announced when the welfare legislation will be formally introduced, but said it will be a top priority in the upcoming congressional session.

Jake Paul Praises President Trump’s Leadership, Says America Is ‘Healing Slowly’
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Jake Paul Praises President Trump’s Leadership, Says America Is ‘Healing Slowly’

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Boxing star and social media personality Jake Paul is voicing renewed support for President Donald Trump, saying he believes the country is “healing slowly” under Trump’s second-term administration, as reported by Fox News.

Paul, who encouraged his millions of online followers to vote for Trump during the 2024 election cycle, said he continues to be impressed by the administration’s approach nearly a year into its second term.

President Donald Trump laughs as supporters cheer during a Make America Great Again rally at the warren County Fair Grounds in Lebanon, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Trump In Cincinnati

“America is healing slowly,” Paul told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

“And I think it’s in a way that people generally don’t understand or can’t comprehend, because Trump is doing things that maybe don’t make sense to a lot of people but in the long run will pay off and, in the long run, return amazing outcomes for the United States.”

Paul credited the President for taking decisive actions that prioritize long-term results over popularity. Trump is doing “one of the best jobs in all of the presidents in the history of the United States,” he said.

“He’s not doing things for public favor or being liked by everybody — he’s doing things for the good of the country.”

The 27-year-old boxer, who gained prominence on YouTube before moving into professional fighting, first made headlines for his vocal support of Trump ahead of the 2024 election.

Just days after defeating Mike Tyson in a pay-per-view bout, Paul said the nation “feels like it’s back” following Trump’s victory.

Paul and his brother, Logan Paul, were both seen attending President Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. While Jake Paul has stayed mostly out of political discussions since then, he said he remains confident in the direction of the country.

“You just have to have trust in the process and the administration,” he said. “They’re doing a phenomenal job. I think results are what is going to make the most amount of people happy in the end.”

Paul’s comments come as the administration continues a series of high-profile policy actions, including increased ICE enforcement, National Guard deployments in major cities to reduce crime, and efforts that helped secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages.

When asked about critics who question Trump’s style, Paul defended the President’s direct approach. “Just being ruthless and cutthroat, maybe not doing things for public favor — I think there are even Republicans who are like, ‘Why is this happening?’

They don’t know the inner workings and how deep and intricate things are or how big these problems are and how to solve them,” Paul said.

Paul is scheduled to fight Gervonta “Tank” Davis in an unsanctioned match on November 14 in Miami — one year to the day after his high-profile victory over Tyson in Dallas.

Arrests Made in 2 Million Louvre Heist as Stolen Crown Jewels Remain Missing
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Arrests Made in $102 Million Louvre Heist as Stolen Crown Jewels Remain Missing

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French authorities have arrested five additional suspects in connection with the October 19 theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, as investigators continue searching for the missing artifacts valued at $102 million, as reported by Fox News.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced Thursday that the arrests were made in separate police operations across Paris and surrounding regions, including Seine-Saint-Denis. The suspects’ identities have not been made public.

One of those detained is believed to be part of the four-person crew that carried out the daylight heist inside the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery. “Searches last night and overnight did not allow us to find the goods,” Beccuau told RTL radio.

The thieves stole eight historic pieces in less than eight minutes, including an emerald necklace and earrings once owned by Empress Marie-Louise, a reliquary brooch, and Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and jeweled corsage bow.

Empress Eugénie’s crown, set with more than 1,300 diamonds and emeralds, was recovered outside the museum but was found damaged.

Two of the suspects had already been arrested earlier in the week and charged on Wednesday with criminal conspiracy and theft by an organized gang. Beccuau said both suspects partially admitted to taking part in the robbery.

One of them, a 34-year-old Algerian national living in France since 2010, was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Algeria.

Investigators said his DNA was found on a scooter used in the getaway. The man, who lived in Aubervilliers, had previous police records for traffic offenses.

The second suspect, a 39-year-old French national, was detained at his home in the same suburb. He had prior convictions for theft and was identified after forensic teams matched his DNA to a display case and other evidence left behind in the museum.

According to investigators, the suspects used a basket lift to scale the museum’s outer wall, forced open a window, and used cutting tools to remove the display glass before taking the jewels.

Louvre Director Laurence des Cars described the theft as a “terrible failure” in museum security. Beccuau said, however, that no evidence currently points to an inside collaboration.

The prosecutor issued a public appeal Wednesday night, urging the return of the jewels, emphasizing that their historical and cultural significance makes them impossible to sell.

“Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,” Beccuau said. “There’s still time to give them back.”

The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to track the whereabouts of the stolen treasures, considered among the most valuable artifacts in France’s national collection.

Kamala Harris Grilled by Reporter, Called Out for ‘World-Class Pivot’ to Avoid Answering Question
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Kamala Harris Grilled by Reporter, Called Out for ‘World-Class Pivot’ to Avoid Answering Question

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris was pressed by an Australian journalist this week after repeatedly avoiding questions about former President Joe Biden’s health and her own role in his administration, prompting the interviewer to accuse her of delivering a “world-class pivot,” as reported by Fox News.

During an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Sarah Ferguson, Harris was questioned about her responsibility for not addressing public concerns over Biden’s cognitive and physical health during his presidency.

The exchange took place during Harris’s international tour promoting her new memoir, 107 Days, which recounts her brief 2024 presidential campaign.

Two days before Election Day, U.S. Vice President and democratic candidate Kamala Harris answers questions about Republican Nominee Donald Trump’s recent comments about election fraud and discounting the vote after speaking at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ and stops in the chapel to talk the media after and answer a few questions in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.

“Didn’t you also have a responsibility?” Ferguson asked. “You were one of the people in the room…. Didn’t you have a responsibility as an American to step up and say something at that point?”

“I did not question Joe Biden’s capacity to be president at all,” Harris said.

Ferguson followed up, pressing Harris on whether Biden’s alleged refusal to acknowledge his own limitations had placed her in an “impossible position” during the election.

Harris shifted the discussion toward her campaign against President Donald Trump, claiming she ran against him because of what she called “misrepresentations” to voters.

Interrupting, Ferguson responded:

“I want to interrupt you because that is a world-class pivot, but it is not the question that I asked you, which is about Joe Biden’s failure to recognize his own frailties and what that did to you. The question is about Joe Biden. Are you still reluctant to criticize the former president?”

“In what regard, please?” Harris replied, asking Ferguson to clarify.

Ferguson then asked whether Biden’s inability to acknowledge his age and condition had hindered her during the 2024 election cycle. “He was not frail as president of the United States,” Harris insisted.

“But he had frailties,” Ferguson shot back. “We all saw the debate.”

“I do believe that Joe Biden had the capacity to be president of the United States, and I have never doubted that he had the capacity to be president of the United States,” Harris said.

“If you want to talk about whether he had the ability to endure what a race for president of the United States would require in that political environment in 2024, as I’ve said in the book, I had concerns.”

When Ferguson asked whether Harris was being less candid in the interview than she had been in her book, Harris pushed back. “Of course not. I wouldn’t have written the book if I didn’t want to be frank about that,” she said.

The exchange ended with Ferguson asking, “Does it make you angry that former President Biden still says he would have won?”

“I… am focused on the present,” Harris responded, declining to elaborate.

The tense back-and-forth quickly spread online, with clips of the “world-class pivot” exchange gaining traction across social media platforms following the interview’s airing earlier this week.

Ted Cruz Demands Judge Boasberg’s Impeachment Over Secret GOP Subpoenas
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Ted Cruz Demands Judge Boasberg’s Impeachment Over Secret GOP Subpoenas

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Wednesday for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg following revelations that the Obama-appointed judge secretly authorized the Department of Justice to seize private phone records belonging to Cruz and other Republican senators, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

At a press conference in Washington, Cruz alleged that the Biden administration’s Justice Department, under the direction of former special counsel Jack Smith, subpoenaed his phone records and those of eight other GOP senators as part of an investigation tied to the 2020 election.

He described the effort as a “fishing expedition” that violated constitutional protections.

“The Biden Justice Department signed off on issuing subpoenas for the phone records of at least nine U.S. senators,” Cruz said.

“Twenty percent of the Republicans in the United States Senate were the target of this fishing expedition. They did so in complete contravention of the Constitution — of separation of powers, of the Speech and Debate Clause, of free speech, of basic rights of privacy.”

Cruz said the subpoena, sent from Jack Smith’s office to AT&T, sought his cell phone communications but that the company’s legal counsel refused to comply.

“AT&T looked at that subpoena and said, ‘You cannot comply because this is protected by the Speech and Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution,’” Cruz said.

According to Cruz, Judge Boasberg subsequently issued an order barring AT&T from notifying the senators that their phone data had been targeted. The gag order was to remain in place for at least one year.

Boasberg wrote in his order that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that such disclosure will result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, and serious jeopardy to the investigation.”

Cruz said the justification was unfounded. “There is precisely zero evidence to conclude that I am likely to destroy or tamper with evidence or to intimidate potential witnesses,” he said. “This order is an abuse of power. This order is a weaponized legal system.”

The Texas senator accused Boasberg of engaging in political retaliation and said his actions constituted “a textbook abuse of Article III authority.” He urged the House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

“I am right now calling on the House of Representatives to impeach Judge Boasberg,” Cruz said.

“Judge Boasberg put his robe down, stood up, and said, ‘Sign me up to be part of the partisan vendetta against 20% of the Republicans in the Senate.’ That is a dereliction of duty and a violation of the judicial oath.”

Cruz thanked Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., for pursuing details of the subpoenas and vowed to hold all responsible parties accountable.

“We are going to get the answers of every person who signed off on this abuse of power — and mark my words, there will be accountability for these zealots who wanted to corrupt the Department of Justice and the judiciary,” Cruz said.

DHS: Threats Against ICE Surge 8,000% — Officials Warn of ‘Unprecedented’ Violence
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DHS: Threats Against ICE Surge 8,000% — Officials Warn of ‘Unprecedented’ Violence

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The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday warned of an extraordinary spike in threats and violent targeting of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, saying death threats against ICE personnel have jumped roughly 8,000% as agents carry out the administration’s immigration enforcement operations, as reported by Fox News.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described a pattern of escalating danger for frontline officers:

“From bounties placed on their heads for their murders, threats to their families, stalking, and doxxing online, our officers are experiencing an unprecedented level of violence,” she said, in part.

People march down E Kilbourn Ave as part of the “People’s Independence Day” march hosted by The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression on Friday July 4, 2025 in Milwaukee, WI.

McLaughlin said the surge has included direct offers of money for killings, explicit online doxxing, stalking of employees and threats aimed at officers’ families.

She also blamed what she called “sanctuary politicians” for contributing to the rise in hostility, asserting the tactics of some elected officials have helped foment violence.

McLaughlin said “sanctuary politicians” have contributed to the surge “through their repeated vilification and demonization tactics, including gross comparisons to the Nazi Gestapo.” She added that “this violence against law enforcement must end.”

DHS cited several recent incidents to illustrate the threat environment. In Dallas, investigators arrested Eduardo Aguilar, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally, after he allegedly posted a TikTok message offering $10,000 for the murder of an ICE agent.

According to DHS, the post — written in Spanish — sought “10 dudes in Dallas with determination who aren’t afraid to [two skull emojis].”

In another Texas case, an ICE officer’s spouse reportedly received a voicemail that read, in part:

“I don’t know how you let your husband work for ICE, and you sleep at night. F**k you, f**k your family. I hope your kids get deported by accident. How do you sleep? F**k you. Did you hear what happened to the Nazis after World War II? Because it’s what’s going to happen to your family.”

DHS also pointed to threats in Washington state. Fox News Digital reported that a man identified as James Adrian Warren allegedly targeted the ICE office in Ferndale, posting online that officers were “Nazis” and “the Gestapo.”

Warren allegedly wrote: “They need to be told they are Nazis every day they come to work, they need to be reminded that they are Nazis every day when they go home. I start on my next day off, you should too.”

DHS said Warren also planned to watch, tail, record, and report employees to make “life harder for ICE here in Whatcom County.”

Los Angeles, California, USA – June 10, 2025: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field officers guard a federal building during ICE deportation protests in Downtown LA.

Officials emphasized that threats extend beyond insults to calls for violence and organized harassment. DHS said the agency has documented doxxing campaigns and coordinated efforts to intimidate officers both on duty and at home.

Citing Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS issued a blunt warning to would-be attackers and anyone who would abet them: “ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law.

And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS said, citing Noem.

The department said it is coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to investigate threats, protect personnel, and pursue prosecutions.

McLaughlin urged political leaders and the public to reject rhetoric that encourages violence and to recognize the personal risk law-enforcement officers face while performing their duties.

Rep. Mast Torches Dems Over Shutdown: ‘We Need Five Democrat Senators to Pull Their Heads Out of Their Asses’
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Rep. Mast Torches Dems Over Shutdown: ‘We Need Five Democrat Senators to Pull Their Heads Out of Their Asses’

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Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., delivered a sharp rebuke of Democratic leadership Wednesday over stalled negotiations to end the ongoing government shutdown, accusing Senate and House Democrats of prioritizing foreign aid projects over the safety and pay of American personnel serving overseas, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Mast, a decorated Army veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan, condemned what he called misplaced budget priorities from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Mast said Democrats were “pouring taxpayer dollars into feminism programs in Africa” while federal workers and diplomats face dangerous conditions abroad without pay.

“To say they’re going to prioritize funding feminism in Africa over the food stamps of their own people — they’re not that stupid, but apparently, Hakeem Jeffries is, and that’s a real problem for all of us here.”

Mast detailed a phone call he had earlier that day with a U.S. ambassador stationed overseas, who described increasingly dire circumstances for embassy personnel affected by the shutdown.

According to Mast, embassy staff are struggling to maintain basic operations due to the lack of available funds.

“I was on the phone with an ambassador this morning — I’m not going to say where — but we have requests for people to leave embassies abroad because of very real threats that are going on,” Mast said.

“The people in that embassy are right now trying to figure out if they have cash funding to get fuel for vehicles or to have diesel to put in their generators, because they don’t have reliable electricity in the places that they’re in.”

Mast said the consequences of congressional gridlock are being felt both abroad and at home, with many federal employees facing personal and financial hardships.

“While they’re also worrying about their paycheck not coming in — can their family back home buy groceries, pay their bill for student loans, pay for the fuel to get their kids to school, or the tuition at their children’s school — they’re also worrying about whether they can even get out of the country.”

Mast ended his remarks by calling for cooperation from across the aisle, emphasizing that the nation’s priorities must be refocused on domestic and national security concerns.

“We need five Democrat senators to pull their heads out of their asses and go work for the United States of America.”

The Florida Republican has been among the most vocal critics of the ongoing spending stalemate, arguing that foreign aid and partisan pet projects are being prioritized over American livelihoods and safety.

CNN’s Jake Tapper Predicts Gen Z Will Be ‘A Lot More Conservative’
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CNN’s Jake Tapper Predicts Gen Z Will Be ‘A Lot More Conservative’

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CNN anchor Jake Tapper said this week that Generation Z is likely to become “a lot more conservative” than prior generations, suggesting that the shift is a backlash to progressive politics “forced down their throats” in schools, as reported by The New York Post.

Tapper, host of The Lead with Jake Tapper, made the remarks on Wednesday during The Reason Interview podcast with Nick Gillespie, editor at large for Reason magazine. The CNN host said his observation comes from what he’s seen among his own children and their peers.

“I think Gen Z is gonna be a lot more conservative,” Tapper said.

“Just my experience knowing Gen Z kids — my kids and their friends and whatever — I sense much more skepticism, and I think it is a reaction to Gen Xers and millennials forcing on them progressive views in school.”

Tapper, who has two teenage children, said younger Americans are becoming disillusioned with political movements championed by progressives in recent years.

“I also think that it is a reaction to the failures of progressive movements to achieve what they wanted to achieve, whether it’s [Sen.] Bernie Sanders, whether it’s Black Lives Matter, whether it’s MeToo.”

“I think it’s COVID, I think it’s a lot of progressive politics being forced down their throats in school.”

Tapper, who has faced criticism from Democrats over his book detailing former President Joe Biden’s mental decline, has frequently been at odds with the left despite his network’s historically liberal leanings.

During the interview, he also noted that while former President Donald Trump did not win the youth vote outright, he performed far better among younger voters than prior Republican candidates.

“But then, Trump did not win young voters, as he constantly said he did,” Tapper said.

“But he did do better with them than other previous Republicans.”

The 2024 presidential election showed that younger voters are increasingly divided, with Generation Z supporting then-Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump by only four points — a sharp decline from Biden’s 25-point advantage with the same age group in 2020, according to data from Harvard University’s Kennedy School.

Polling continues to highlight significant gender differences in political alignment among Gen Z. A survey from NBC News and SurveyMonkey in April found that 45% of Gen Z men approved of Trump’s presidency, compared to just 24% of young women.

The poll also showed that 52% of young women identified as Democrats, the highest percentage among any age or gender group, while only one-third of Gen Z men identified with the Democratic Party.

Tapper’s remarks add to a growing acknowledgment — even among media figures on the left — that the Democratic Party is struggling to connect with younger male voters, many of whom have grown skeptical of modern progressive movements and classroom politics.

Gov. Kathy Hochul Declares State of Emergency Over SNAP Freeze as Shutdown Drags On
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Gov. Kathy Hochul Declares State of Emergency Over SNAP Freeze as Shutdown Drags On

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide “food emergency” on Thursday as federal officials warned that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be exhausted this weekend due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, as reported by The New York Post.

Speaking from a food pantry in Harlem, Hochul said her administration would not “be passive observers” while families face disruptions in access to food assistance. “We’re not going to be passive observers to this,” Hochul said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul tours the Homes for Heroes housing development in Tappan July 10, 2024.

To offset the anticipated shortfall, Hochul announced an additional $65 million in state emergency food relief funds to sustain benefits after the federal freeze takes effect on Saturday.

That amount comes on top of $30 million the governor announced earlier in the week, bringing the total state commitment to $95 million.

The governor said New York typically receives and distributes about $650 million each month in federal SNAP funds, which provide food assistance to more than 2.8 million residents across the state.

The funds are administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in partnership with local social services agencies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned earlier this week that without new appropriations, SNAP funding nationwide will lapse beginning November 1.

II.studio – Shutterstock.com

While the agency holds an estimated $5 billion in contingency reserves, officials said the money is “not legally available” for state use absent congressional approval of a funding measure.

The shutdown, now in its fifth week, has left millions of Americans uncertain about when critical government programs — including food benefits, housing assistance, and federal paychecks — will resume.

In New York, officials estimate that roughly one in seven households relies on SNAP to help cover monthly grocery costs.

Hochul said the state’s emergency action would be temporary and designed to bridge the gap until federal lawmakers reach an agreement to restore funding.

Danville – June 2, 2023: SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement disadvantaged families.The governor also urged Washington lawmakers to act swiftly to end the shutdown, which has already begun to affect several federally funded programs across the state.

Hochul’s declaration comes amid mounting pressure from local officials and advocacy organizations who say food pantries have seen a sharp increase in demand as the shutdown continues.

According to Feeding New York State, an umbrella organization representing food banks statewide, some facilities have reported a 20% surge in visitors over the past two weeks.

Washington Post Editorial Urges Democrats to End Shutdown, Stop Holding Government ‘Hostage’
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Washington Post Editorial Urges Democrats to End Shutdown, Stop Holding Government ‘Hostage’

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The Washington Post editorial board called on Senate Democrats on Wednesday to end the month-long government shutdown, criticizing party leaders for “holding the government hostage” in an effort to secure an extension of costly Obamacare subsidies, as reported by Fox News.

The paper’s editorial urged lawmakers to pass a clean funding bill to restore federal operations and prevent disruptions to key public programs.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Florida, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, at The Ben West Palm in downtown West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 20, 2023.

“The right answer is to reopen the government with a clean funding bill, ideally for a full year, to get food stamps flowing and federal workers back in the office, and then have a debate about ACA subsidies,” the editorial stated.

“Democrats openly acknowledge that they refuse to do this because it would mean giving up their leverage. If they persist, it could mean families start to go hungry.”

The criticism follows warnings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — commonly known as food stamps — will run out by November 1 if appropriations are not approved.

While the agency maintains an emergency contingency fund of roughly $5 billion, the USDA said those funds are not “legally available” for use without congressional action.

The Post noted that one reason the shutdown has lasted nearly a month is that “most Americans have felt no discernible impact on their daily life,” but cautioned that circumstances are beginning to change.

“This pain point, combined with three other dynamics, should help hasten an end to the shutdown as early as next week by making Democrats blink,” the editorial board wrote.

In addition to the potential expiration of SNAP benefits, the Post cited other developments that could pressure Democrats to reopen the government — including the start of open enrollment for health insurance plans this weekend.

Danville – June 2, 2023: SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement disadvantaged families.

“Many people will experience sticker shock when they see how much their premiums are about to go up,” the editorial said. “Democrats will be able to claim they got their point across about the need to rescue Obamacare by extending subsidies that are set to expire.”

The Post also suggested that Democrats may use expected victories in next week’s off-year elections in states like New Jersey and Virginia — and the New York City mayoral race — to portray the outcome as a political win that allows them to end the standoff without losing face.

“Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are both New Yorkers who fear the Mamdani wing of the party,” the Post wrote.

“Schumer has allowed the shutdown to drag on because he’s worried about fending off a primary challenger in 2028, and he’s still smarting from blowback he got from angry liberals after he agreed to fund the government this spring.”

The editorial further highlighted frustration from federal workers and their unions, noting that the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) — which represents more than 800,000 federal workers — has called for an immediate end to the shutdown.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said Monday.

“Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

Concluding its piece, the Post urged lawmakers to keep the government open and separate policy disputes from budget negotiations.

“It is wrong that Democrats have held the government hostage for a month in hopes of extending costly Obamacare subsidies, just as it was for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to shut down the government in 2013 for 16 days in a bid to defund the Affordable Care Act altogether,” the editorial stated.


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