Count on Democrats to put a face to Republican efforts to cut federal benefits, rolling out potential victims who elicit the most sympathy so the media can broadcast their plight to the nation.
But Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s choice to counter a significant GOP cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was not exactly from central casting.
SNAP helps feed more than 40 million low-income Americans, which is a crisis all to itself that DC conveniently overlooks, and Republicans are advocating for nearly $300 billion in cuts through 2034, which includes pushing some of the costs down to states. Doing her part, the Democrat senator from Minnesota highlighted a morbidly obese woman named Felecia, who testified before the House Committee on Agriculture.
“Today, we heard from Felecia, a single mom of four who works up to three jobs at a time to make ends meet. She counts on SNAP to help put food on the table,” Klobuchar said of the plus-size woman. “This is who Republicans in Congress are trying to take food away from.”
Today, we heard from Felecia, a single mom of four who works up to three jobs at a time to make ends meet. She counts on SNAP to help put food on the table.
This is who Republicans in Congress are trying to take food away from.
Listen to her story. pic.twitter.com/jEBo2fRPQc
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) June 12, 2025
Felecia notes in her testimony that two of her “children” are 21 and 17, and that she worked “three jobs” 21 years ago when she had her first child. The woman explained that she now works a single full-time job as a bus monitor for a school district, but still relies on SNAP to feed her children and herself — lost in the mix is that she has been receiving federal aid for 21 years.
Klobuchar either did not bother to learn the details, or she is intentionally misleading people with her comments on X. Either way, if you are going to roll out a victim who is going to be hurt by cuts to SNAP, it would work in your interest not to feature someone who is morbidly overweight and has been milking the system for decades.
Featuring the woman was not only bad optics, it was unfair to her, according to some on social media — here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
Your staff should have considered the optics of this instead of putting this woman forward. It was cruel and not thought out.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 12, 2025
This has to be satire. Right? Right?!?
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 12, 2025
She doesn’t need SNAP, she needs a treadmill.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) June 12, 2025
You didn’t listen to what she said, or you are deliberately misstating what she said.
She is not working 3 jobs at a time, she said she did that 21 years ago when her first child was born.
She is currently working one job for the school district and using SNAP for food.
SNAP…
— Ben Dempsey (@BenDempsey18) June 12, 2025
Klobuchar needs to fire her interns.
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) June 12, 2025
Why is she a “single mom’ with four kids? Why has the government become her provider and de facto husband? If she is unable to provide for her four kids why did she have four kids. She has a responsibility to the community and the tax payer to not become a burden or dependent…
— Michael J. Vogler, Esq. (@1NinerWhiskey) June 12, 2025
I’m trying to figure out the point of having her testify. SHE said she was speaking about the importance of SNAP (apparently she has been using it for at least 21 years.) She used to have three jobs and now has a full-time job. Her oldest two of 4 children are 21 and 17 (…
— dottylady (@dariamcleod) June 12, 2025
Hey @amyklobuchar this is NOT who Rs are trying to remove. A working mother who qualifies now will continue to qualify. Looks like we need to reduce ability to buy junk food with SNAP.
— Mary (@MarySCIL) June 12, 2025
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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