Tag: taxes

President Trump Responds to Judge’s Ruling on SNAP Benefits

President Trump on Friday evening responded to a judge’s ruling on SNAP benefits.

More than 40 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, and the $5 billion emergency fund was not enough to cover the program for November.

Unions and nonprofit groups filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture earlier this week ahead of the November 1 cutoff.

Funds for the SNAP benefits are drying up because Schumer and the Democrats refuse to vote for the clean CR bill to reopen the government.

US District Judge John McConnell, an Obama appointee, ordered Trump on Friday to use the emergency funds for the SNAP program.

A separate federal judge in Massachusetts ruled the USDA has the power to fund SNAP benefits.

Separately, Judge Indira Talwani, also an Obama appointee, stopped just short of issuing a Temporary Restraining Order and said she will hold a hearing on Monday.

President Trump said two courts issued conflicting opinions on how the SNAP benefits can be funded during the shutdown, so he instructed DOJ lawyers to ask the court to clarify how his administration can legally fund the program.

“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do. I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” President Trump said on Truth Social.

“Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. It is already delayed enough due to the Democrats keeping the Government closed through the monthly payment date and, even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out,” Trump said.

President Trump dropped Schumer’s office number!

“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay. The Democrats should quit this charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons, and immediately REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. If you use SNAP benefits, call the Senate Democrats, and tell them to reopen the Government, NOW! Here is Cryin’ Chuck Schumer’s Office Number: (202) 224-6542,” Trump added.

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U.S. Secret Service Seized 17 Skimmers, Stopped $17M of EBT Fraud in Texas

The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement seized 17 illegal electronic benefit transfer skimmers that stopped nearly $18 million of fraud in San Antonio, Oct. 28-29.

Law enforcement from the San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office conducted EBT fraud and payment card skimming outreach. 

Law enforcement visited 712 businesses and removed 17 illegal skimming devices, preventing an estimated potential loss of more than $17.7 million. More than 4,300 point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps and ATMs were inspected. 

Teams also distributed educational materials about Electronic Benefit Transfer fraud and skimming to help businesses identify illegal skimming devices in their point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps and ATMs.

“The U.S. Secret Service greatly appreciates our law enforcement partners as, together, we aim to proactively identify and remove illegal skimming devices in San Antonio,” said Brian Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s San Antonio Field Office. “Removing these devices before card numbers can fall into the hands of criminals underscores our commitment to preventing EBT fraud which impacts our most vulnerable community members.”

This effort follows a series of more than 20 similar operations conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement partners nationwide.

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5 States Handed Out $1.4B In Federal Medicaid Funding To Illegals

Five states and Washington, D.C., funneled more than $1.35 billion in federal taxpayer Medicaid funding to illegals, according to a preliminary audit of the program completed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehemet Oz posted the results of the preliminary audit on social media showing California, D.C., Illinois, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon spent millions each on illegals, with California spending the bulk, topping over $1.3 billion alone.

That money, according to Oz, was spent “just in the last few months.”

The left constantly claims this does not, or even cannot, happen because it is against federal law to use programs like Medicaid — something meant for Americans — for illegals, but that small sample of states shows that states are defrauding the American people out of their own programs to the tune of billions of dollars.

That claim is even more spurious considering the Democrats are only days away from breaking the all-time longest government shutdown record because they care more about funding health care for illegals than citizens of their own country.

“Some want to deny that illegal immigrants are receiving Medicaid. Others insist it’s illegal for Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants. And others accurately point out that hospitals can provide emergency services to illegal immigrants under the program,” Oz said, noting CMS is intending to have the money returned to them.

States share Medicaid funding responsibilities with the federal government, and they administer the program independently. The law does not prohibit the states from using their own money to pay for illegals, just federal funding. (This exception provides a back door for federal tax dollars to de facto fund illegals, as money is fungible.)

According to Oz, Democrats are so zealous about giving American money to illegals that even that massive loophole was not enough, stating, “that didn’t stop Democrats from going even further by breaking federal law to give illegal immigrants federal Medicaid dollars meant for American citizens.”

“Whether willful or not, the states’ conduct highlights a terrifying reality: American taxpayers have been footing the bill for illegal immigrants’ Medicaid coverage, despite many Democrats and the media insisting otherwise,” he added.

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Judges Order Trump Admin to Fund SNAP — There’s Just One Problem

Two federal judges have just ruled that the Trump administration must use contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must to continue to fund SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown.

The rulings came a day before the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown.

The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. Word in October that it would be a Nov. 1 casualty of the shutdown sent states, food banks and SNAP recipients scrambling to figure out how to secure food. Some states said they would spend their own funds to keep versions of the program going.

The Trump administration has long said it doesn’t have the legal authority to use the contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits during the prolonged Schumer Shutdown.

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Patients go without needed treatment after the government shutdown disrupts a telehealth program

Bill Swick has a rare degenerative brain disease that inhibits his mobility and speech. Instead of the hassle of traveling an hour to a clinic in downtown Chicago to visit a speech therapist, he has benefited from virtual appointments from the comfort of his home.

But Swick, 53, hasn’t had access to those appointments for the last month.

The federal government shutdown, now in its fifth week, halted funding for the Medicare telehealth program that pays his provider for her services. So, Swick and his wife are practicing old strategies rather than learning new skills to manage his growing difficulties with processing language, connecting words and pacing himself while speaking.

“It’s frustrating because we want to continue with his journey, with his progress,” 45-year-old Martha Swick, a caregiver for her husband since his diagnosis three years ago, said during an interview at their home in Minooka, Illinois. “I try to have all his therapy and everything organized for him, to make his day easier and smoother, and then everything has a hitch, and we have to stop and wait.”

Their experience has become common in recent weeks among the millions of patients with Medicare fee-for-service plans who count on pandemic-era telehealth waivers to attend medical appointments from home.

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Federal Judge Weighs Forcing USDA to Pay SNAP Benefits Despite Shutdown

A federal judge considered ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to tap into a $5 billion contingency fund to avoid a lapse in the national food stamp program on Oct. 30.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, during a hearing in Boston, said the government should find a way to continue giving limited benefits to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP), rather than cutting it off completely.

“The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits,” she said.

Talwani is expected to issue a ruling by the end of Oct. 30.

Approximately 1 in 8 Americans benefit from SNAP, and at a cost of around $100 billion per year, it is one of the country’s most amply funded social service initiatives.

On Oct. 10, the USDA informed states that it would not disburse benefits for November because of the government shutdown.

The program is set to run out of funding on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. Senate Democrats have declined to support a House-passed bill to fund the government, and earlier this week, Republicans did not support a bill that provided standalone funding for SNAP.

As Republicans and Democrats continue to face off on the issue of reopening the government, 25 states sued on Oct. 27, insisting that the USDA could harness the $5 billion emergency fund to keep the program going.

However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said this was illegal on Oct. 27, noting that those funds were meant to pay for school meals and infant formula.

A memo from the USDA echoed Johnson’s statement, noting that the emergency fund—along with $23 billion in tariff revenue—is being used to cover school breakfast and lunch programs, along with the Women and Infant Children (WIC) program, which provides infant formula and healthy foods to babies and their mothers.

That memo also notes that state governments cannot be reimbursed if they choose to cover SNAP benefits, a program that costs about $8 billion per month. Some states, such as Virginia, are planning to launch their own stop-gap programs to ensure food security.

The plaintiff states argue that, in addition to harming the tens of millions of Americans who rely on SNAP, the program’s suspension will harm the businesses where they shop.

Attorneys for the government argue that the program cannot be funded during the shutdown, since this is a violation of the Antideficiency Act, which dictates how the government operates during a funding lapse and “forbids the United States from making such an obligation without an appropriation.”

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Democratic Congresswoman’s Dishonesty Exposed When Interviewer Calls Her Out on ‘Poison Pill’ Claim

Democrats’ responsibility for the ongoing federal government shutdown has forced them to perform some hilarious mental gymnastics.

For instance, Thursday on C-SPAN, Democratic Rep. Janelle Bynum of Oregon first refused to answer interviewer Greta Brawner’s question and then, when properly pressed on her non-answer, accused Brawner of pinning blame for the shutdown on Democrats, who, in point of fact, have repeatedly refused to vote to end it.

Indeed, throughout the interview Bynum took an absurdly evasive approach to the interviewer’s direct questions.

To begin, Brawner noted that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will expire on Saturday.

“Should Democrats pass a stand-alone bill to fund SNAP benefits?” the interviewer asked.

Bynum replied with tedious pablum about how Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House. She also added platitudes about making sure children do not go hungry.

“Is that a ‘yes,’ then, that there should be a vote on the stand-alone legislation?” Brawner asked.

“I’m here; my Republican colleagues are on vacation. We want to make sure that we stand up for American people,” Bynum responded before blaming House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In other words, the interviewer saw from the beginning that the Democrat congresswoman would not give a straight answer.

Moments later, Brawner tried another question. This time, Bynum grew flustered.

“[Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee] made the argument that Democrats in previous situations avoided government shutdowns by voting thirteen times for so-called ‘clean’ continuing resolutions that would fund the government at the previous year’s funding levels,” Brawner said. “Why not agree now?”

Bynum responded by posing as someone who operates above politics, demanding a clean bill.

“They did have a clean CR vote on Sept. 19 in the House,” Brawner said. “Did you vote for it?”

“I disagree with your characterization,” Bynum replied, “and want to make sure that we’re very clear about what Republicans have been doing. Any bill that they put forth, they’ve always had some extra stuff to it. There’s always been a poison pill to it. So I disagree with your characterization.”

“What were the poison pills of the clean CR, or the continuing resolution — you say it’s not clean — that was voted on in the House in mid-September?” Brawner asked.

Incredibly, Bynum then accused the interviewer of having an agenda.

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Perth men charged over seizure of more than five tonnes of illicit cigarettes, vapes and loose tobacco

Two Perth brothers have faced court charged over the alleged distribution of illicit tobacco products in WA after the seizure of more than four million cigarettes, about 50,000 vapes and almost 900 kilograms of loose-leaf tobacco.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) charged Nedlands man Hossein Al Mansouri, 32, and Dianella man Mousa Al Mansouri, 33, as part of an investigation into a national organised crime syndicate allegedly selling illicit tobacco and vaping products in WA, then sending the profits back to the eastern states.

Police allege illegally distributing the seized products would have avoided about $8 million in Commonwealth excise and taxes.

The AFP and WA Police, along with Australian Border Force, say they executed multiple search warrants in Perth in August.

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America’s $30 Trillion Publicly Held Debt Is 42 Times Larger Than It Was in 1980

In 1980, America’s publicly held debt reached more than $712 billion (about $2.8 trillion in 2025 dollars), or roughly 25 percent of annual U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Today, that figure is a little over $30 trillion, or around 100 percent of GDP. And as the federal debt grew 42 times larger over that span, the economy grew only tenfold. You can’t expand the numerator four times faster than the denominator for 45 years without courting economic danger.

That’s where we find ourselves. The U.S. is at peace, and despite President Donald Trump’s claims, there’s no national emergency. And yet we’ve only seen debt as a higher share of GDP during the years of 1945, 1946, 2020, and 2021. Then, Republicans and Democrats knew to scale back. Now, debt explodes during emergencies and continues to grow in peacetime.

In 1946, after World War II, debt-to-GDP was 106 percent. It declined to just 25 percent by 1980, not only because of inflation and economic growth but because of real fiscal discipline. With budgets nearly balanced, the fruits of a booming private sector could actually reduce the burden. Beginning in the Reagan era, discipline gave way to a new normal of chronic budget deficits.

Three forces made the shift possible.

First, and the main cause of the mess we are in, is that the entitlement state became enormous yet untouchable. The Social Security reforms of 1983 are a rare example of bipartisan structural reform of a major entitlement program in U.S. history. Since then, despite economic and societal changes, the program has never been reformed. Never mind that it faces insolvency and the potential for automatic benefit cuts of more than 20 percent in 2033. The same is true of our other major debt driver: Medicare. And Medicaid is growing far beyond its original intent.

Democrats, occasionally helped by Republicans, have worked to expand welfare programs meant for lower-income people to those in higher and higher income brackets. The most recent and extreme example is the COVID-19–era expansion of the Obamacare tax credit to wealthier taxpayers, a significant share of whom enjoy early retirement. The fight over its continuation is what the government shutdown is about.

Second, Republicans discovered that promising tax cuts without offsetting spending cuts was politically painless so long as one claims that they “pay for themselves.” There is one rare and recent exception: this year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included $1.5 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years to offset some of the tax cuts. It’s not enough, but it’s something. Meanwhile, the Democrats love to claim that debt wouldn’t be a problem if the rich paid their “fair share.” They already do pay an enormous amount in taxes. But the numbers still don’t add up.

Finally, the Federal Reserve, starting under then-Chairman Alan Greenspan in 1987, learned how to anesthetize the political pain of budget deficits by keeping interest rates artificially low and monetizing debt. Politicians concluded that they could borrow endlessly without suffering political consequences. The problem is that this only works insofar as investors don’t worry that they will be paid back with inflated dollars.

That illusion has vanished. Interest costs have surged from $372 billion annually just a few years ago to nearly $1 trillion today, surpassing what we spend on defense or Medicaid. Within a decade, yearly interest payments are projected to nearly double, reaching $1.8 trillion. Even without new programs, the built-in deficit would keep rising and outpace economic growth. And Washington keeps adding more deficit spending.

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