State Senator Wendy Davis appeared on a local Texas news station to express her support for food stamps last week, but she appeared unprepared for serious questions on the topic.
After making some general comments about working families and the “broken” system, Davis was asked about a bill introduced by State Rep Terry Canales to prevent SNAP benefits from rolling over month after month. The question caught Davis off guard.
“I’m not familiar with the balance rolling over. Um, I do think
obviously where people are receiving assistance for their food or health
services it shouldn’t be in excess of what they need” Davis offered.
Having come on television to take a swipe at Republicans for a 5 percent cut, Davis wound up admitting there might be a need to rein in the program. Not exactly a successful appearance.
Rep. Canales introduced the legislation after a February report by the same Texas station indicated people with SNAP benefits cards had balances as high as $7,000. According to the gas station attendant who reported the issue, some of the users were driving BMWs while using the benefit cards intended for the poor.
As for Wendy Davis, this is not the first time she has been caught off guard by a relevant question. In August, Davis made an appearance at the National Press Club. She was asked by Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack to explain the difference between the late term abortions her filibuster was intended to allow and the crimes committed by Dr. Gosnell in Philadelphia. Davis responded “I don’t know what happened in the Gosnell case but I do know that it happened in an ambulatory surgical center.”
In fact, Gosnell’s clinic was not an ambulatory surgical center. The grand jury report identified this as one of the problems which may have led to the death of Karanamaya Mongar.
Here is the published interview with Wendy Davis by News 4 reporter Joey Horta: