'If it were Matt Gaetz': Florida Congressman floats cutting SNAP

04 February 2023

United States Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) told right-wing commentator Steve Bannon on Saturday that he would back efforts to slash spending toward the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a substitute for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Nearly half of those Americans who benefit from SNAP are children.

"I just don't understand why we're a country that pays people who could go to work, not to. And when I go..." Gaetz began.

"How big a deal is that? Does that come away with the emergency measures coming off or is it deeper?" Bannon interrupted to ask.

"Oh, considerably deeper. And by the way, it pays you on both sides of the ledger, right? If you impose work requirements on all means-tested entitlement programs for working-age people, not for the disabled, not for seniors, but for working-age people, it's a trillion dollars in savings during the ten-year budget window," Gaetz said on War Room.

"This is in Medicaid and other..." Bannon interjected.

"This is in Medicaid and in food stamps," Gaetz stated.

"... in food stamps. Discretionary spending," Bannon added.

"Yeah. The biggest chunks are from the Obamacare Medicaid expansion to able-bodied adults and to the SNAP program. It's over 400 billion to SNAP," the congressman continued.

"So Social Security and Medicare are off the table. But you're saying taking Medicaid and other aspects of discretion?" Bannon wondered.

"Well look, if it was Matt Gaetz, I think that we do need reforms to Social Security and Medicare. I understand politically enough people have said that's off the table," Gaetz mused.

"But that can come later," Bannon added.

"By the way, Medicaid should not be a sacred cow. And so it hasn't been," said Gaetz. "You notice people and talk about Medicaid the same way they're talking about Social Security, right? So with Medicaid, I think there's a lot of meat on the bone for savings. In SNAP, you can get over 400 billion in savings."

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