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Rep. Carter Statement on USDA’s SNAP Retailer Directive
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement:
“To add insult to injury, it appears that the Trump administration has now sunk to an all-time low — simply cruel and heartless.
“Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a reminder to retailers prohibiting them from offering special discounts or assistance to families who rely on SNAP benefits during a lapse in federal funding. This decision does not reflect the compassion or decency that public service demands. It punishes those who already have the least and ties the hands of grocers who simply want to help their neighbors.
“At a time when working families are struggling to put food on the table, this directive sends the wrong message about our values as a nation. No rule or regulation should ever stand in the way of kindness. Leadership requires empathy and moral courage — especially in times of hardship.
“I call on the administration to immediately rescind this directive and allow grocery retailers the flexibility to serve their customers with dignity and compassion. Congress must also review whether this so-called “Equal Treatment Rule” has been twisted into an instrument of cruelty rather than fairness.
“Families in Louisiana’s Second District — and across America — deserve better. They deserve leaders who put people above politics and compassion above cold bureaucracy.”