Biden to US Soldiers: Consider Food Stamps to Help with Inflation
Pentagon officials this week issued a memo with guidelines to troops on how to cope with inflation, including speaking with a financial adviser and enrolling in SNAP (food stamps).
The decision comes after months of complaining from soldiers who are finding it difficult to make ends meet on government pay.
Inflation in the US is currently at about 8.3%, but is as high as 13.6% for government defense purchases. Unfortunately, Defense Department officials based their budgeting decisions for 2022 on a rate of 3.9%.
In May, Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord issued a memo to Congress warning lawmakers of the Defense Department’s failure to adequately track inflation and make adjustments to budgets. Pentagon leaders even declined assistance when concerned lawmakers offered to help the department with inflation numbers.
This problem could be even worse next year, warns retired US Army Major General John Ferrari. Based on the latest information released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Pentagon’s budget request of $773 billion for next year is short by as much as $70 billion.
“[This is] hardly a rounding error,” notes Ferrari. “Although the House and Senate have added money in their defense bills, $7.1 billion and $21.2 billion respectively, raging inflation means troops and their families will lose $8.7 billion in buying power this year.”
Taking into account inflation and pay increases, soldiers today are currently facing what feels like a 12.5% pay cut.
“Having already added more money to the defense budget than President Biden requested, Congress will have to appropriate even more to save America’s troops from the Defense Department’s negligence,” warns Ferrari. “It’s the only way to get troops and their families the financial lifeline they need.”
Author’s Note: The potential impact here is staggering. If word gets out that soldiers are turning to food stamps because they aren’t earning enough money, we won’t be able to recruit new men and women during a time of unprecedented global risk – not to mention how weak it makes the United States look if we can’t even pay our own military.
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This is a freakin disgrace. How are we supposed to recruit new people to join the military? This guy is doing everything possible to destroy this country, and he’s raping the military to the point where we will have absolutely no reliable force at all. If this guy stays around much longer, we will be OFFICIALLY a third world country.
Amen!
Do you honestly think the Biden administration cares about our Military?
I remember from years ago, Soldiers having Food Stamps, why? because when you are of low Rank and you have many Children, the Paychecks don’t earn them much or enough to make it through the month.
+1 Angelika — spot on, and it ain’t just the military, it certainly ain’t just Joe Biden. Sure, inflation makes it hurt more, but it probably was hurting before. Fact is, America is a subsidizing nation and SNAP payments to 40-hour week workers is a reality in all American endeavors at the low end of the pay scale. Whenever you get your low-cost fast food, chances are the price is supported by welfare payments, predominantly SNAP. Whenever you get your low cost goods from China, from Walmart, Target, dollar store, whatever, chances are that the prices was supported, subsidized by taxpayer welfare payments.
To blame Biden or suggest he does not care for the military because of this is not correct. Trump did it, Obama did it, whatever, it’s been decades in the making.
Why should the military 1% be any different than any other US 40-hour a week minimum wage+ job?
Walmart, McDonalds, many major employers provide SNAP consultations as a worker benefit in the good ole US of A. Why should the military be different.
They average military salary is over $50K a year, give me a break if these folks need welfare. Tell the wife, the kids, to get jobs.
The 10% at the low end average $24K a year. OK, these folks are getting to the 1% bottom tier, life-choice dependent, there could be problems here.
Salaries are location dependent too.
To get snap, to be at the poverty level, it’s about $13K an individual and $22K for family of 3. That’s the current US poverty level where SNAP kicks in. If they are at the lowest military pay rate, and have two kids or more, yeah —– bad life choice decisions and you are at the poverty level and should get SNAP. It’s unfortunate that it’s the law in the US that we can have pay rates that establish a working poor class. And, of course, it hits minorities worse. I would bet that’s the case in the military too, although perhaps a little less egregious.
It’s nice that Biden wants the Army to help out. Just like Walmart, McDonalds and so many more. Trump, Obama, should have done this years ago. Fix the minimum wage first, and the military will follow.
Yes, for now, we are the subsidized nation —- our burgers are paid for with tax dollars, every time you get your Big Mac, the price is kept lower by tax dollars subsidies to the working poor there. Our cheap goods from China are also covered this way by tax dollars, why not the military? It seems to be the American way to help McDonalds, Walmart pay their workers by giving them taxpayer dollars via SNAP payments.
That’s what Biden ought to fix, not just for the military, but for the entire economy. But would you tackle minimum wage to lower SNAP payments with this group of Republicans? I would rather go for the ban on assault rifles. Might be easier……
Frank, Frank, Frank – so now you’re revealing another sad portion of your being. Truly sad, and truly in line with that other idiot in the Democrat party. I believe his name is Joe Biden…
Idiot in chief
I’d like to reply to two of your comments, because it’s obvious you have not spent any time in the military, but your sitting in front of your screen trying to sound like an armchair general.
1)”They average military salary is over $50K a year, give me a break if these folks need welfare. Tell the wife, the kids, to get jobs.”
The soldiers who are being asked to live off food stamps aren’t officers or senior NCO’s. The soldiers being asked to live off food stamps are the majority of the Army, Navy, Airforce and Marines. These are the base, the backbone of the services. For example…an Army private with 3 yrs of service makes $2176/mnth or $26112/yr. An Army corporal with 9 yrs of service makes $2596/mnth or $31152/yr. An Army buck sergeant with 20 yrs of service makes $3310/mnth or $39720/yr. An Army staff sergeant with 26 yrs of service makes $3944/mnth or $47328/yr. The Marines make less.
For arguments sake let’s look at the SSgt., he’s put in 26 years serving his country, (that means you), and he’s making little better than $47000 a year. In the world this person would be making $100-125K per year. So this guy by your standards is expected to feed his family, try to pay for his kids education, and maybe save some money to put down on a mortgage and live off food stamps. That’s very big of you!
2)” Why should the military 1% be any different than any other US 40-hour a week minimum wage+ job?”
And again I’d like to point out that you obviously have had no military experience. A career in the military especially at these lower levels is not a 9-5, 40 hr a week job. You live where you’re sent, you don’t live under the best of conditions, and your stress level is one you can’t even fathom. You’re forever worried you’ll be deployed to some far away place, you may die, you wonder who’s going to look after your family and kids, and that’s just the start. What happens if you get your A shot up and you come home a crip. And here you are in your nice cushy job worried about getting a paper cut, what’s on TV tonight, and is the beer going to be cold for the game.
Yes there are senior officers and senior NCO’s who have 9-5 jobs, but I can honestly say even they don’t have a 40 hour week. But then they’re not the people we’re talking about here. So all I can tell you, is pull your head out of your A and start understanding what’s going on, start giving the military the credit it’s due, call your congressman and/or senator if you want to keep sleeping comfortably tonight, because those same guys looking after you and your family are eating pretty meagerly and their families are suffering.
Walkin: Oh God, it’s the ole “you didn’t serve so you don’t know shit” story. I don’t have to wear fatigues to know a salary and demographics.
In all honesty, we are pretty much agreeing except for the 1% factor. I believe you agree that the average salary of $50K should be sufficient to live off of unless you made some bad life choices and have a zillion kids. Also, I think we both agree that military working at or below the poverty level is a bad thing, and it would be nice if SNAP was not needed.
I just added that the private sector also has this problem, in spades, and we taxpayers subsidize the military pay and private sector pay with our taxpayer funded SNAP payments. In the case of the private sector, this artificially keeps prices lower. And sure, everyone deserves fair pay. But if a guy puts in 26 years to make less than $50K, it ain’t exactly the military’s problem he couldn’t do better; that’s a bad life choice. It’s volunteer service, and I respect those who do. I am not so high on human punching bags just taking poor pay shots for a couple of decades. That’s a poor life choice.
You are probably correct about the payrates for different ranks but by no means is the majority of the military working at the poverty level. My 1% may be off, it might be 4%, but it’s not the majority; at least you did not prove it was. Plus, now that I look deeper, we both forgot veterans count too. https://www.bread.org/library/fact-sheet-hunger-and-poverty-military-community There’s your numbers. Probably worse today, but still better than private sector.
And then both of us forgot the room n board perks: https://www.katehorrell.com/do-military-families-live-below-the-poverty-line/
OK, lastly I talked about “life choices.” First, like the private sector, these folks choose their job, their rank, no one is forcing them to make the choices to get these jobs. Likewise, on having a family sized appropriately for the returns of your job. Plus, last I checked, it’s a volunteer army, there may be tours of duty, but at some point, you are free to leave. Or you can take advantage of training and education benefits to get a better job. My cousin has his Phd on the military; he’s doing just fine.
But my point was this problem exists also in the private sector, it’s existed in both sectors for at least the last four Presidents, so give the “it’s Biden’s fault” a rest. You’re often the same people bitching about raising minimum pay levels.
And yes, I did not serve. I protested. I still lost friends, in or out of service, during my war. I walked the halls of the Pentagon in protest; I published articles about those interviews, and I helped those returning without limbs to love the slopes the way I do. Nothing tougher than a black mono-skier in a green army jacket surrounded by the white elite skiing class. We had fun in the lodge drinking and passing legs to the waitresses to be checked……. And my father served, lost a year in the hospital where he learned his wife and unborn child were dead. We had over 2 dozen of us in that war, left one in Italy, another at the sea’s bottom —- my son is named for him. My beloved FIL left his new wife and returned to his five sisters just before the war. You think being in the service is tough, try living behind the lines protecting your family for the entire war. His wife declared him dead and moved on so, like my father, he lost his bride too. I did not serve, but I have lived war and it’s aftermath pretty damned close. I know it’s not the same, but I do know what it can do to live with those experiences. So, perhaps check your own head before you try to guess where mine is. I do care for these folks, I honor their service. I was just pointing out that this problem runs rampant in America, in and out of the service. It’s actually worse, percentage wise, in the private sector and businesses don’t have housing stipends and room n board while on duty.
Biden, or the next guy, needs to fix this in both sectors.
Frank, you are completely clueless about the military. I didn’t serve either but I worked with soldiers in the early part of my career. The other comments presented here told the story, but as is typical you have ignored it. The plight of the enlisted man has been precarious for a long time. You present links but you don’t appear to have read them.
Did I say they were not in a plight, a pickle. Of course I did. Anyone on SNAP is in a plight.
I just added that they are not alone, it’s the private sector too.
Something wrong with that?
You people constantly through the “you weren’t in the military” as much as “you don’t own a gun” as some sort of magic where only these people can answer. And they you stupidly answer anyways, in your case.
What I said is FACTUALLY correct. I did not denigrate those in the service anymore that anyone out of the service. BEING A WORKING POOR PERSON SUCKS, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
But it’s not just the military you dumb fuck.
And why would you say I did not read the links? You left that turd on the table and ran away.
Wtf r u even talking about.
Everything there looks correct; you certainly pointed at nothing, except me, personally, as a sad idiot. Sticks n stones, mate.
Frank, You are totally right. This is a problem, our servicemen and women have been underpaid forever, and many have been seeking food assistance for a long time. The fact that one of the windbag post authors thinks that it is newsworthy just proves that they feel their purpose in life is just to denigrate the democrats…
I think it is newsworthy but IF these folks were newspapermen, especially copy/paste Alice, she might have stretched just a bit to see if it’s a bigger picture than: “oh my, they is hurtin and it’s Biden’s fault.” Sure, inflation hit these people harder, faster, but that’s true for many Americans outside the service. Plus, if she had thought about it, she might have bought a clue that it was a perennial problem.
Fact is Americans have be subsidizing minimum wage big business for years as a hidden tax to the taxpayer. If they are big; if they pay minimum or close to wages to 40-hour a week workers, chances are those workers can be on SNAP and more. And those SNAP payments that would have been represented as price increases are instead hidden taxes to subsidize the Walmart’s of the world. Worse yet, Walmart and others offer, as an employee benefit, help in gaining access to SNAP payments, and more. IOW, they don’t pay a living wage, add cost to give the SNAP help benefit, a cost they pass to the consumer, and then gig the consumer for the SNAP payments that should have been in the product price. That’s fucking insidious.
Put that in your “but if you raise minimum wage, you will pay more” pipe and smoke it. Who, knows you may pay less after you get rid of the expensive government welfare subsidy to keep prices down artificially.
“According to the finding in this report a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage reduces SNAP enrollment by between 2.4 percent and 3.2 percent and reduces program expenditures by an estimated 1.9 percent.” OK, so raise the wage, reduce the tax burden). https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MinWage-report.pdf (liberal association)
“The 12 million wage-earning adults (ages 19 to 64) enrolled in Medicaid—a joint federal-state program that finances health care for low-income individuals—and the 9 million wage-earning adults in households receiving food assistance from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shared a range of common labor characteristics. For example, approximately 70 percent of adult wage earners in both programs worked full-time hours (i.e., 35 hours or more) on a weekly basis and about one-half of them worked full-time hours annually (see figure). https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-45
These are your hospitality, fast food, food service, and leisure industries for the most part. Party on dudes, let the taxpayer subsidize you via SANP to full timers working there. I bet The Pillow Guy didn’t know he was in the subsidy line at Hardee’s when the FBI swarmed him to grab his phone :>)
What a pathetic government. No consideration for our military men and women at all. No wonder the military’s hard pressed in trying to fill quotas. Why would I want to join up, or re-up, if I had to live off food stamps; I could sit on my A at home, and do exactly the same thing and not have to worry about getting my A shot up. Geez are these people so stupid, do they never learn!
Biden and his Nazi demoshits could care less about the military or their families, just look what happened in Afghanistan….they left the miltary out to dry…..They could care less about the military….VOTE THESE ASSWIPES OUT IN NOVEMBER….DEMOCRATS ARE RACISTS