Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced.

The state has notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education said in a Friday news release.

“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release.

A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have urged the state to reconsider, saying Summer EBT would address the needs of vulnerable children and benefit the state economically, the Journal Star reported.

  • @Brkdncr
    link
    1831 year ago

    Wait, did she just say some kids are too fat so they don’t want to feed any of them?

    • Cethin
      link
      fedilink
      English
      551 year ago

      That’s how I read it too. I really hope not, but I’m also assuming this is a republican so probably.

      • @Feirdro
        link
        521 year ago

        They literally believe that the gubmint is feeding poor children so much they’ve become obese.

        Gah, i feel dirty when i see things from their pov.

        • @grue
          link
          English
          341 year ago

          That’s the charitable interpretation! The other way of reading it is that in reality some children are obese while others go hungry, but they can’t be bothered to give a shit which are which.

          • Billiam
            link
            151 year ago

            Republicans not giving a shit about children. Quelle surprise.

          • @kautau
            link
            111 year ago

            Nothing they say is about children. Regardless of the topic, anything they say can be translated to “this isn’t making the rich richer, perhaps it’s even making the rich less rich, and therefore I will vote against it”

          • iquanyin
            link
            51 year ago

            obesity is also a result of malnutrition.

        • @BigBrainBrett2517
          link
          11 year ago

          Upvote for the use of ‘gubmit’. Hadn’t seen before. Very funny.

    • @Son_of_dad
      link
      131 year ago

      Republicans wanna keep kids nice and fit for Matt Gaetz and the other diddlers in their party.

    • prole
      link
      fedilink
      English
      81 year ago

      They should sell it to Republicans in the state as a way to keep their employees fed without having to spend any more money.

      Employees in this case, being the children in case nobody got that

    • @Boddhisatva
      link
      211 year ago

      That’s actually not the case. Per the linked article…

      States that participate in the federal program are required to cover half of the administrative costs, which would cost an estimated $2.2 million in Iowa, the news release says.

      Of course, that’s no excuse to turn this program down. Particularly since she also just announced that the state will “end Fiscal Year 2023 with a balance of $1.83 billion in the General Fund, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund.” $2.2 million is a drop in the bucket when it would benefit so many needy children.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          11 year ago

          $40 is not enough to feed a kid for an entire month, and it’s only for low-income kids, not all kids. And it’s only for the summer, not year-round. It’s a good thing and a no-brainer, but it’s not feeding every kid in the state. It’s not even completely feeding the kids it benefits.

    • prole
      link
      fedilink
      English
      181 year ago

      This is a federal program. It costs them nothing

      That’s really the most fucked up thing. These are always states that already take far more from the federal government than they provide in taxes, and they complain as if they’d be the ones paying for this shit.

      As someone who’s in a state that gives far more to the US government in taxes than we take, I should have more of a say where that money goes, and I would prefer to continue giving aid to these children in Iowa. In fact, it should be more.

  • @Rusticus
    link
    English
    1001 year ago

    Meanwhile farmers in Iowa get the majority of their income off the fat teat of the US government. Go fuck yourself hypocrites.

    • @littlewonder
      link
      21 year ago

      Farming subsidies are insane in Iowa but because so much of the farming is owned by giant corporations instead of families, it’s just another way we move money from taxpayers to the wealthy.

      It pisses me off to no end that rural Iowans go hard Republican. They listen to the pandering to “Iowa Farmers” from the right, despite only larping as farmers since they all sold their farms in the 70s and 80s.

      Sorry, Tom the “farmer”, but living in a ranch house on .25 acres in a town of 200 people and wearing coveralls from 35 years ago, does not make you the beneficiary of Iowa farm money.

  • Flying Squid
    link
    921 year ago

    An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,”

    Holy fuck… she’s literally saying that your kids should starve because other kids are fat.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      221 year ago

      It’s such a weird hill to die on, too. We pay, what, 15k/kid per year of education? 120 bucks is too much, though.

      • Flying Squid
        link
        171 year ago

        They do this for so many things. The death penalty is far more expensive than life in prison, but they’d rather be cruel than save the money that they always say shouldn’t be spent.

          • @Maggoty
            link
            6
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            To be fair. It’s not like the appeals system works when SCOTUS denied one on the basis that we have to respect the jury, even after literally everyone involved in the trial said there was exculpatory evidence missing from the trial.

            So it doesn’t matter how bad the trial was anymore. Any death sentence must stand under their reasoning.

            • @HighElfMage
              link
              41 year ago

              SCOTUS, or at least Scalia, has also decided that innocence isn’t a compelling reason to be spared execution.

              We should never let these vermin get away with calling themselves “pro-life.”

  • @lemmylommy
    link
    71
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Dear kid,

    You will go hungry today because we will also let you starve tomorrow.

    Also, you are fat.

    Love, Republicans

  • @Maggoty
    link
    70
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Some kids are fat so poor kids should starve?

    Holy shit GOP.

    • @NotMyOldRedditName
      link
      41
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      There’s a very good chance the kids that are overweight are overweight in part because the parents can’t afford better food as junk food is often cheaper. This could just worsen the problem.

      • @Maggoty
        link
        91 year ago

        Yup. Not to mention, distended bellies are also a symptom of malnourishment. These are the people who will point at starving kids in Africa and claim they’re fat.

  • partial_accumen
    link
    701 year ago

    “Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families."

    “…so instead we the GOP are going to replace this unsustainable program with nothing making a future problem a problem of today!” /s

    “An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release.”

    “While yes, EBT card is useful to buy all kinds of healthy food such as fresh produce, staples such as beans and rice, as well as great protein choices such as chicken, pork or beef, you may not be aware that EBT card can also buy sugar! And, you may not be aware, its possible for someone to consume enough sugar to gain weight. Therefore the GOP solution is to remove the EBT card which grants access to this sugar (as well as all the other food). By doing this those children that are overweight will effectively be put on a starvation diet where their bodies will slowly first digest their body’s muscle and put their liver at risk by forcing ketosis. Those children that don’t happen to be overweight, and will suffer tremendously, should have thought about that before they let all their peers eat too much.” /s

    • @MotoAsh
      link
      151 year ago

      I mean… do you need the /s when you’re just de-politicizing the language and not changing the message?

    • @lemmylommy
      link
      91 year ago

      Can’t have kids eating sugar, they will get fat. Also, let’s give subsidize corn farming some more.

  • @HonorIsDead
    link
    581 year ago

    I love when this happens and they present no alternative. Choosing a losing option instead of accepting an imperfect effort. Try to improve it? No surely not. Throw it all away. If a social program helps someone I deem unworthy of aid it must be removed.

    How small of a person.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      211 year ago

      Their entire party is built around making their constituents angry at other people. Earnst us trying to enrage people because she’s ameyeing a national positikn.

      I think it’s time to just call them on it. Everyone believes in feeding kids. It’s not controversial. It’s the ethical right thing to do. There is no disagreement between parties here. She’s just doing this to try and stir up anger at "them/“others” because she thinks it will make a subset of people vote for her.

  • FuglyDuck
    link
    English
    521 year ago

    Repugnants: “We hate kids.”

    • @qooqie
      link
      191 year ago

      It’s really sad because I grew up poor and relied on food assistance at school for a reliable meal during the weekdays. If I had to not eat lunch most weeks I think my childhood would’ve been arguably a lot worse

      • FuglyDuck
        link
        English
        131 year ago

        it’s infuriating. And not “mildly” infuriating. this is full on, rage-inducing pisses me off. Fortunately, we’re going the way up here; funding more free lunches.

    • ThunderingJerboa
      link
      fedilink
      51 year ago

      but but we saved them from the evil doctors and liberals when they were in the womb, they should be thanking us.

    • @Mirshe
      link
      11 year ago

      No no, “we hate YOUR kids”.

  • @Furedadmins
    link
    451 year ago

    This is so fucking stupid, not only does this feed kids the money goes to local retailers but a huge chunk also buys Iowa food products. What the fuck is wrong with that idiot

    • @extant
      link
      English
      201 year ago

      They have never experienced poverty so they think it’s fine because if they were in that situation they would pull themselves up by their bootstraps or whatever delusional shit they come up with. To them it’s non-issue and everyone in poverty must be lazy.

        • @extant
          link
          English
          71 year ago

          Now that you mention it they did lower the age limit for working in Iowa this year.

        • twelve20two
          link
          fedilink
          51 year ago

          If these kids didn’t want to be poor, they should’ve thought twice before being born to poor parents

    • @Spaceballstheusername
      link
      101 year ago

      Yeah but wealthy donors are complaining the people aren’t desperate enough to take whatever job for whatever salary.

  • @madcaesar
    link
    411 year ago

    And Jesus said, onto thee, fuck them kids.

  • PugJesus
    link
    fedilink
    381 year ago

    “God, I want to hurt children so much.” - Republicans

    An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,

    Poor nutrition is when the poors have too much access to food. /s

    She added, “If the Biden Administration and Congress want to make a real commitment to family well-being, they should invest in already existing programs and infrastructure at the state level and give us the flexibility to tailor them to our state’s needs.”

    Read: “Give us money and let us cut taxes for our ultrawealthy donors yet again.”

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      71 year ago

      Wouldn’t “schools and their kitchens/cafeterias existing” count as existing programs and infrastructure?

      • PugJesus
        link
        fedilink
        101 year ago

        In theory, sure.

        In practice, the GOP has made it a core issue to defund schools and remove free and subsidized lunches, so it’s unlikely that any money given to the governor’s administration would go towards anything of the sort.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    361 year ago

    “Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release.

    Okay, so they have a better program they’re implementing instead to address those issues?

    • @Catma
      link
      91 year ago

      Well those kids are obese. Probably do them some good to drop a few pounds right?

      Seems like a great way to campaign, “you’re kids are fat so i am goibg to starve them to make them healthy?”

    • @Eigerloft
      link
      71 year ago

      “hey shut up” - conservatives

  • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
    link
    fedilink
    321 year ago

    Twelve million children are food insecure in the “Greatest Country on Earth™” and they want to cut spending to feed them.

    • @kautau
      link
      81 year ago

      But it’s important that they keep being born, even if the pregnancy was a product of rape or the birth might kill the mother.

  • @inclementimmigrant
    link
    291 year ago

    Surprise, surprise that Republican Christians don’t give a fuck about the welfare of kids in poverty.

    • SnausagesinaBlanket
      link
      41 year ago

      Republican Christian should be considered a Sect in this religion.