U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has interfered with a lower federal court ruling that required the Trump administration to cover full monthly food stamp SNAP benefits for 41.7 million Americans in November.
Guess who’s not coming to dinner?
This justice (who was raised in Miami and nominated twice by former President Joe Biden) has singlehandedly ruined the Thanksgiving holiday for millions of Americans. She played right into Trump’s hands.
David Udoff, Miami
The Trump regime
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration — oops, sorry, the Trump regime — to immediately pay SNAP benefits to Americans who rely on them every day, to put food on the table. But instead of complying with the judge’s order, the regime appealed the order, which will further delay the release of these funds.
How can the elected leader of the United States be so cruel as to withhold money for such a basic need as food? It’s clear that the regime acts only in its own self-interest, and not for the citizens it was elected to represent.
Jay Rechtman, Boynton Beach
Congress must save SNAP
Food sustains human life, yet cuts to SNAP funding will have consequences far beyond the government shutdown. Hunger affects child health, behavior and ability to learn — echoing the struggles described in the Sun Sentinel opinion essay, “Floridians must speak out to protect food assistance,” by Karyne Bury, published Nov. 3.
WIC (Women, Infants and Children, a supplemental nutrition program) is also at risk. Many mothers face the stress of not being able to properly nourish their children. Pregnant women may be forced to buy cheaper unhealthy foods that are high in sugar and salt, fueling chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
These programs are lifelines — not luxuries. Congress must reconvene and act to safeguard the health and well-being of the children and seniors who depend on them.
Dr. Yanick Perodin, Miami
The writer is a retired pediatrician.
Help us, Democrats
The intransigence of many of our elected representatives, who forced a shutdown of government services, highlights how dependent we are on the largesse of the federal government.
You would think that the economic losses in California, Illinois, New York and Virginia (to name four states that have Democratic senators) would be enough to motivate them to break party ranks and end this impasse.
One way to get the air traffic controllers back into their airport towers is for the airlines to add a fee to passengers’ tickets to pay them. But the flaw with this suggestion is that (as we know) money rarely goes where it’s intended.
Steven Graves, Fort Lauderdale
Editor’s Note: On Sunday, after this letter went to press, seven Democratic senators voted to end the shutdown. They included Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tim Kaine of Virginia.
What about all of us?
To the Sun Sentinel letter writer of Nov. 9 (“Very happy with Trump”), here’s what I take away as the reasons why: His stock portfolio and retirement assets are doing well, and his gasoline bill is reduced.
That’s wonderful for him.
But 150 million other people do not think only of themselves and see that the less fortunate are losing their SNAP benefits, unable to pay rent, find affordable housing or feed their families — you get the idea.
Perhaps we should go back to thinking not only of ourselves. Then and only then will the country and world become better places.
Mark Morowitz, Delray Beach
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