Forced Charity in a Welfare State
The Schumer Shutdown has not yet affected a large swath of Americans. Yes, federal employees and our military are feeling the impact, but citizens are largely unaffected in their daily lives. This could change for many who are currently using the federally funded food stamp programs. In California, CalFresh benefits could be delayed if the shutdown goes beyond October 23, according to the California government website.
I have to ask, is this necessarily a bad thing? From my own life and experience, I’ve observed many people who are fully capable of working and providing for themselves but choose not to. There are individuals and families who work incredibly hard but still can’t make ends meet and rely on these kinds of programs. However, the many people I have known who used this program were simply lazy and living off the government's handouts. The safety net was their hammock; they felt no need to get out anytime soon. When I was first starting out as a young family with a new baby, I was earning $1,100 a month. That’s it. In California. I did not qualify for food stamps and watched as others drove up in their brand new Camaro or Corvette to collect their EBT cards.
If You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat
Again, there are those who need help and cannot afford to feed their children on their own. However, a significant portion of this program is being taken advantage of. In the words of Paul, “If anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat”(2 Thessalonians 3:10). Those who truly cannot work to provide for themselves and their families should not be placed in a safety net that prevents them from moving forward. The church is there, and food banks are available for those who are truly in need. The food stamp program in California should not require a $12.7 million price tag, with 5.5 million people in the program, according to the California Budget Center.
Although the federal food stamp program does not allow illegal immigrants to apply, an illegal parent can apply if they have a child who is a citizen. I am not a cold-hearted person. I want everyone to have access to food. However, our federal tax dollars should be going to Americans who truly need the help.
The program that will be delayed is the federally funded food assistance; however, California has its own system, which does not require one to reveal their citizenship status. Beyond that, the state calls such restrictions “arbitrary” while hailing their program as being inclusive. The California food stamp program uses the state’s taxpayer dollars to fund at least 42,000 illegal immigrants. Of course the state has a huge deficit between funding illegals and spending over $200 million on the special redistricting election next month, just to name a couple of issues.
Work to Make Ends Meet
California currently has one of the highest ratios of job openings to unemployed adults in the nation. As of June of this year, California had 702,000 job openings, excluding work-from-home positions based in other states. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals the ratio to be 1.5. This means that there is one and a half jobs for each unemployed adult in the state of California. That leaves no excuse for any able-bodied person to provide for themselves and their families. If you have to work at a gas station to make ends meet, then that’s what you have to do in the short run.
I pray that the federal shutdown soon comes to an end to relieve those who are truly hurt by its effects. I also pray that those in programs like these will find that they can take care of their own family and need not be supported by a welfare state. We are called to feed the hungry and help the poor. We are not called to fully support the able-bodied and encourage criminals. Let us help others up and encourage them to walk on their own two feet. God bless.
References:
California Immigrant Policy Center. (2025). Food4All Bill. Retrieved from https://caimmigrant.org/what-we-do/policy/health-public-benefits/food4all-bill/
Governor of California. (2025, October 20). Trump shutdown could soon halt food support for millions in California; CalFresh cards face possibility of no new funds in November. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/20/trump-shutdown-could-soon-halt-food-support-for-millions-in-california-calfresh-cards-face-possibility-of-no-new-funds-in-november/
Nair, N., & Saucedo, M. (2025, April). Republican-proposed CalFresh cuts put millions of Californians at risk of hunger. California Budget & Policy Center. https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/republican-proposed-calfresh-cuts-put-millions-of-californians-at-risk-of-hunger/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Western Information Office. (2025, August 20). California job openings and labor turnover—June 2025 (News Release No. 25-1316-SAN). https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/jobopeningslaborturnover_california.htm