Becky Pringle, President of the largest labor union, the National Education Association (NEA), appeared on Make It Plain with Reverend Mark Thompson to demand Trump comply with the Court and provide SNAP Benefits. She also encouraged every American to get out to vote.
“SNAP benefits impact directly on schools because we, through SNAP benefits, we provide school lunches and breakfasts. So that’s being directly impacted, but also the SNAP benefits go directly to families,” Pringle said in the interview.
Pringle emphasized how hunger and other distractions impact a student in the classroom. “Our kids can’t learn if they are hungry. They can’t learn if they, if they’re, if their, their, their teeth hurt or they can’t, they, they don’t have the glasses they need,” she said.
However, she said, teachers are providing for students and families in the absence of SNAP.
“Educators are stepping up in ways that we never imagined, sometimes setting up food pantries in schools to ensure their students have enough to eat,” Pringle said, and encouraged all to join the NEA in stepping up for students.
“Go to nea.org/protect to find resources and actions you can take to stand up for public education and protect our students,” she said.
She chided the Trump Administration for not complying with two federal judges’ orders that the Administration immediately disburse SNAP funds.
“It is chaos, it is confusion, and ultimately, what is it, cruelty,” she said, adding, “There are families right now that are being impacted and the judge’s ruling is not changing that [yet].”
Pringle also stressed the importance of civic engagement and getting out to vote.
“We have to commit to doing an action word every day. We have power in our vote, and we need to use it to bring about the change our communities need,” Pringle said.
“ I tell my seven verbs: Educate, Communicate. Organize, Mobilize, Litigate, Legislate and Elect. All of those words, those are action words. Everyone remembers, right, from third grade, action words,” she added.
