Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has spent the better part of the last year and a half bragging about how much money his state has in the bank. He claims credit for the state's $11 billion budget surplus. Perhaps it's more accurate to just call it a surplus since the state has repeatedly failed to pass a budget since the July 1st deadline. Still, Josh claims to have billions in the bank.
Pennsylvania has a $14 billion surplus. Even if we funded every single proposal in my budget, we’d still have $11 billion in the bank by June 2025 — all while cutting taxes for Pennsylvanians.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 29, 2024
Let’s make commonsense investments in our kids, families, and communities.
We can’t…
Pennsylvania has a $14 billion surplus.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) June 22, 2024
Even if we funded every proposal in my budget, we would still have $11 billion left over by June 2025.
All while cutting taxes.
Let’s come together and make a real difference in folk’s lives.
So, it came as a shock to a lot of Pennsylvanians when Governor Money Bags announced that the state would be withholding SNAP benefits from qualified residents because of the Schumer Shutdown.
Of course, Josh is attempting to blame Republicans in D.C. for his own state's failure to allocate the necessary funds to cover the nearly two million Pennsylvanians (many of whom are children) who receive food support through SNAP.
Why would Shapiro allow children to go hungry with $11 billion available to help them?
Congressional Republicans are more focused on playing partisan politics than ensuring 2 million Pennsylvanians continue to receive food assistance through their SNAP benefits.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) October 21, 2025
Their priorities are clear. pic.twitter.com/gxaKr132qY
2 million Pennsylvanians could lose their SNAP benefits if DC Republicans don't get their act together.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) October 21, 2025
That's after they voted to kick 310,000 people off Medicaid and 144,000 more off SNAP, just to give a tax cut to people who don't need it.
Their priorities are clear.
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If Josh was telling the truth about the surplus, and by all accounts, he was, then Pennsylvania has plenty of cash on hand to keep SNAP funded until the current act of Chuckie's political theater comes to an end. Especially considering that the federal money hasn't been cancelled, it's just been delayed. There's really no excuse not to front the bill and feed the kids.
At least not a good excuse. You see, Josh has ambitions; his name has been circulated as potentially being the Democrats' nominee in 2028. To do that, he will need support from the DNC and all the Trump-hating, frothy-mouthed, angry rich guys that donate to them. If Josh is going to run for POTUS, he simply can't afford to be on their bad side.
If withholding SNAP benefits and then blaming Trump for the hungry kids is what's demanded of him to stay in the good graces of Schumer and the DNC, then Shapiro seems more than willing to comply.
The problem he has is that Pennsylvanians are well aware that there are billions of dollars available to cover these costs, and they're not the least bit happy that he's willing to let kids go hungry for what amounts to a cheap political stunt.
You’re being disingenuous, Governor.
— PA VOTER (Marla) (@PAKAG2020) October 21, 2025
Republicans in both chambers have unanimously voted to keep the government open. It is Democrat demands that taxpayer fund healthcare for illegal aliens that is keeping the government shut down.
You can fund these benefits if it's so popular.
— Marlin Klingensmith (@EidolonOracle) October 21, 2025
Oh, you can't pass a budget either?
Get off your high horse.
PA has a big surplus. Just like Trump is finding $$ to pay our troops, you need to figure out a way to get SNAP to PA residents.
— Jaded (@GGPA20680378) October 21, 2025
That’s unfortunate - I thought you might be above the hyperbole.
— StirredNotShaken (@StirredNoShook) October 21, 2025
He would like you to believe he's above the hyperbole. He presents himself as a centrist, but when faced with his own ambitions and the Democrats' purity test that demands unquestioned loyalty, he's just another run-of-the-mill partisan hack.
Josh Shapiro wants to be the Democrats' nominee for President in 2028, and if some of Pennsylvania's most vulnerable children have to go hungry for him to get there, then so be it.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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