“Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che is speaking out against the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which began Saturday following a month-long government shutdown.
“This SNAP freeze is truly a mess,” Choi wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. “And I often see racist videos glorifying (mostly black) families who can’t afford groceries. Is there this weird idea that because some people are on welfare, no one should be? This country is built on greedy motherfuckers who take shortcuts and exploit the system to their advantage. But for some reason, when poor people find a way to turn nickels into dimes, they are judged more harshly, especially black people.”
“There’s a lot of fuss about fighting in the comments and hating each other here for more promises (I know), but let’s draw the line at feeding the poor. I grew up on free cheese and baby formula, waiting for my friends to leave the store so they wouldn’t see me paying with stamps. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds. I promise.”
The government shut down on October 1 after Republicans and Democrats failed to pass a bill to fund government services as the last federal budget expired. Republicans are 60 votes short of passing the bill in the Senate, giving Democrats a chance to fight back on key issues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, issued a memo on Oct. 26 saying benefits would stop on Nov. 1. But on Friday, two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the Trump administration is required by law to use reserve funds to pay at least a portion of SNAP benefits. The Trump administration has until Monday to respond to the ruling.
