House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was on mop-up duty after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested Republicans are as much to blame for the government shutdown as Democrats.
At a news conference on Friday, Rollins gave a candid message to Americans about the continued impasse and concerns that millions of people could soon miss out on food benefits.
“My message to America is, first, the fact that your government is failing you, right now,” said Rollins, whose department oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
She continued her ode to bipartisan responsibility, noting that “poverty is not red or blue, it is not a Republican or Democrat issue,” and ended her message by making clear: “If you are in a position that you can’t feed your family … we have failed you.”
Johnson then swiftly stepped in to “clarify.”
“When she says, ‘We have failed you,’ she means ‘We, the Democrats,’ OK?” the speaker interjected.
As things stand, November’s food benefits won’t be loaded onto SNAP debit cards as a result of the standoff between Republicans and Democrats.
Just a day before SNAP benefits are set to lapse, Rollins launched a fierce attack on what she called the “extremely corrupt” program, arguing that “so many people are taking advantage” of SNAP.