Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden have contrasting views on their accomplishment regarding food stamps, even though their results are polar opposites. While Trump’s tenure saw a decrease in welfare rolls, under Biden, there has been an increase in people relying on government assistance. This shows that success for one can be considered a failure for the other.
During Trump’s presidency, a combination of low inflation and a thriving economy led to more individuals securing jobs and experiencing an increase in income that wasn’t offset by higher prices. This led to genuine wealth accumulation and rising incomes, resulting in fewer people needing welfare programs like food stamps. In the first three years of Trump’s presidency, there was a significant decline of 19% in food stamp rolls, impacting 8.5 million people and saving the government $11 billion. The overall cost of the food stamp program dropped to $60 billion, the lowest since 2009.
Although the lockdowns and subsequent unemployment caused some individuals to return to food stamps in 2020, the number of recipients remained below the levels of 2018, indicating progress from Trump’s inauguration. However, this progress reversed under Biden as he expanded the food stamp program early in his administration. Since Biden took office, the number of people on food stamps has risen by 3%, resulting in skyrocketing costs with benefits increasing by a staggering 54% in just two years. Additionally, administrative costs for food stamps have surged by over $500 million under Biden’s administration, bringing the total annual cost of the program to the taxpayer to $120 billion. This is twice the cost of the program during Trump’s presidency in 2019.
If Biden had managed to achieve the same downward trend in welfare reliance as his predecessor, the number of people on food stamps would have declined instead of increasing over the past two years. In fact, there would be approximately 5 million fewer recipients today, almost returning to the 2019 level. This highlights the contradictory nature of the Bidenomics narrative, which claims that the administration rescued the economy and created millions of new jobs. The fact that an increasing number of Americans are relying on government assistance contradicts this narrative.
One reason for this increase in reliance on food stamps is the high inflation rate, which is at a 40-year high. This can be attributed to the government’s excessive spending, borrowing, and printing of trillions of dollars over the past few years. Despite the average American worker paying less than $4 an hour in federal income tax, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of their wages by over $4 an hour. Essentially, the government’s increase in money supply to fund its spending has led to inflated prices and reduced the actual purchasing power of individuals. This can be seen as a hidden tax on American workers, equivalent to more than doubling their federal income tax burden on average.
The rising cost of living, at the fastest pace in decades, has made it nearly impossible for millions to escape government assistance. Surprisingly, the Biden administration considers this dependency a success and proudly boasts about expanding government assistance. This reflects a fundamental difference in worldview between conservatives and liberals, impacting how they measure success or failure in government policies. Conservatives perceive success as individuals securing employment, achieving self-sufficiency, and leaving welfare programs. A decrease in the number of people on food stamps is seen as an indicator of prosperity. On the other hand, liberals like Biden view the growth of welfare programs and a larger government as successes, driven by their belief that the government can solve any problem.
Ironically, the greater need for food stamps today can largely be attributed to Bidenomics itself and the excessive government spending that supports it. Higher prices, particularly for groceries, high interest rates, wages that fail to keep up with inflation, and unaffordable housing are some of the consequences of Bidenomics. These outcomes affect individuals whether they use food stamps or not.
E.J. Antoni, a public-finance economist at The Heritage Foundation and a senior fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, presents these arguments.
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