The “transitory” inflation that President Joe Biden promised more than a year ago has failed to be just that – temporary.
This week, the Biden administration announced that inflation in August ran at an 8.3 percent annual clip – the fifth consecutive month above 8 percent. The current rate is roughly six times higher than what it was under former President Donald Trump.
That is hurting all kinds of American families – including those that serve our nation.
In fact, the economic hardship is so severe on military families that the Army’s senior enlisted leader is encouraging troops to use food stamps.
The Daily Caller noted this on Monday in a report about how inflation is battering military families – at the same time as the Biden administration cuts back on pay and benefits.
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The outlet noted Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston, the highest ranking enlisted soldier in the Army, suggested food stamps as a way to compensate for runaway inflation.
That occurred last month in a blog post Grinston wrote for the Army Emergency Relief program.
“With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they’ve set and used before,” Grinston wrote.
“Soldiers of all ranks can seek guidance, assistance, and advice through the Army’s Financial Readiness Program.”
Grinston noted programs available to troops such as free financial counseling, zero-interest loans, and an initiative that, upon request, can cap credit cards and other loans at 6 percent interest while the soldier is on active duty.
Then, there are food stamps.
Grinston pointed out that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is an option.
SNAP, he wrote, “is a U.S. government program that provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores. Service members and their families may be eligible.”
But it’s not just food stamps.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, soldiers may also qualify for the Women, Infants and Children program, or WIC, which provides nutritious food to low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at “nutritional risk,” as well as the Summer Food Service Program, which during the summer when school is out allows children from eligible families to eat breakfast and/or lunch at “feeding sites,” such as schools, churches, community centers, summer camps, Indian reservations, and others.
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Meanwhile, as soldiers go broke and on food stamps, the Biden administration has shipped or promised $50 billion to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
That doesn’t sit well with some.
GOP Rep. Mike Garcia of California told the Daily Caller of the idea of troops on food stamps, “No service member should be asked to defend our country and struggle near or even below the poverty line.”
“If the government is paying for our service members to live on food stamps, we may as well pay them through base pay on the front end instead.”
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Free Press.
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