Democrats invited a morbidly obese woman to defend food stamps in Congress Wednesday, and viewers on X were quick to point out the irony of the situation.
Felicia, a single mother of four, said she has relied on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since her oldest child was born, in a video posted by Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
“When I had my oldest daughter 21 years ago, I was working three jobs,” she tearfully told lawmakers. “One job alone I had to pay childcare, another one to pay food, which wasn’t enough. And one to pay the bills, and I still struggled alive.”
Felecia now works a full-time job as a bus monitor and driver for a school district in Kansas City, Missouri, according to her testimony. She said that with the school’s payment schedule, she gets paid once a month. By the time she pays her bills, she has no money left for food and other basic necessities, according to the video. (RELATED: ‘Betrayed The Public Trust’: Federal Bureaucrat Charged For Alleged Massive Food Stamp Fraud Scheme)
“If it wasn’t for SNAP benefits, I wouldn’t be able to feed my children or myself,” she said.
Some users on X said that Felecia made an odd choice for Democrat lawmakers to trot out in support of SNAP benefits.
“I don’t condone being unnecessarily mean to her but Klobuchar literally said ‘this is the woman you’re taking food away from’ when she’s very obviously even beyond an unhealthy level,” one user wrote.
“Not to be mean, but to be honest and accurate, she’s morbidly obese and could subsist on her fat stores alone for a year. What you’re asking for, is for taxpayers to subsidize her early death. Find better spokespeople for your cause,” commented another.
“You are asking tax payers to pay for someone to have 4 children without a partner after she states in this video she already couldn’t afford to feed the first child,” housing and economic analyst Amy Nixon wrote. “Now, two of those kids are 21 and 17–they can work and contribute to the family bills now.”
Other users commented on Felecia’s lack of a husband after more than two decades of having her first child.
“Why does she have 4 children and no husband?” one asked, adding, “Life choices matter. Sorry but 4 unplanned pregnancies and no partner present is absolute nonsense.”
Felecia’s congressional testimony comes as the Senate debates a House Republican addition to Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” that would restructure the food stamp program.
In the wake of the proposed cuts to SNAP spending, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins approved waivers for Arkansas, Idaho and Utah to remove certain products from SNAP benefits Tuesday, according to a press release. Arkansas and Idaho’s waivers exclude soda and candy, while Utah’s excludes soft drinks.
Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa have similar guidelines in place, according to the department.
“The Trump Administration is unified in improving the health of our nation. America’s governors have proudly answered the call to innovate by improving nutrition programs, ensuring better choices while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer,” Rollins said in the press release. “Each waiver submitted by the states and signed is yet another step closer to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”
