As the Trump administration continued its illegal freeze on food assistance, the US Department of Agriculture sent a warning to grocery stores not to provide discounts to the more than 42 million Americans affected.
Several grocery chains and food delivery apps have announced in recent days that they would provide substantial discounts to those whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been delayed. More than 1 in 8 Americans rely on the program, and 39% of them are children.
But on Sunday, Catherine Rampell, an anchor at MSNBC, published an email from the USDA that was sent to grocery stores around the country, telling them they were prohibited from offering special discounts to those at greater risk of food insecurity due to the cuts.
“You must offer eligible foods at the same prices and on the same terms and conditions to SNAP-EBT customers as other customers, except that sales tax cannot be charged on SNAP purchases,” the email said. “You cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently from any other customer. Offering discounts or services only to SNAP-eligible customers is a SNAP violation unless you have a SNAP equal treatment waiver.”
Sure, I can’t think of a better use of the USDA other than micromanaging the point-of-sale for thousands of grocery stores.
I think in normal circumstances, requiring snap customers be treated the same offers them protection. In this case, it would make sense to allow discounts. But, as always. The cruelty is the point.
It’s not?
The rule that all consumers get treated equally is a pretty fucking big one, especially when it comes to protecting vulnerable groups.
It’s just that now that regulation is becoming problematic in different ways because of a fundamental breakdown of the systems we rely on.
Getting rid of it would do more harm than good as soon as benefits come back as corporations will abuse it for their own benefit.
Don’t unwittingly hand corporations more fucking power
Micro-managing.