Rebuttal: ‘Theatrics don’t feed the hungry’ — but neither does political gaslighting

Secretary Rollins’ op-ed, republished in LassenNews.com, is a masterclass in deflection.

While she accuses Democrats of “theatrics,” she herself performs a political sleight of hand — blaming the shutdown solely on Democrats while ignoring the Republican refusal to negotiate over the lapse of enhanced ACA benefits, a key sticking point in the continuing resolution.

Let’s be clear: Democrats are not holding SNAP hostage. They are demanding that Republicans come to the table to restore health care subsidies that millions rely on — subsidies that Republicans allowed to expire without negotiation. That’s not sabotage; that’s governance.

Rollins claims Democrats are using SNAP as “leverage,” yet her own department recently removed from its website a longstanding assurance that SNAP benefits would continue regardless of funding issues. This quiet deletion, coupled with her public statements warning of a SNAP cutoff on Nov. 1, is not just alarming — it’s a betrayal of the 42 million Americans who depend on this lifeline.

Her rhetoric — invoking “illegal aliens,” “gender mutilation,” and “open borders” — is not only untruthful and inflammatory, it’s irrelevant to the SNAP debate. These distractions serve only to polarize and obscure the real issue: a government shutdown caused by partisan refusal to negotiate in good faith.

Rollins also fails to mention that her department has legal tools to extend SNAP funding temporarily, as noted by multiple state attorneys general and members of Congress.

Instead of exploring those options, she publicly invited billionaire donors to fund SNAP — a surreal abdication of federal responsibility.

If Rollins truly believes that “American citizens should come first,” then she should stop using hungry families as political pawns and start advocating for bipartisan solutions. That means acknowledging the role of both parties in this impasse and restoring the programs — SNAP and ACA alike — that millions of Americans rely on.

Theatrics don’t feed the hungry. But neither does propaganda.

Gary McIntire, Susanville