WASHINGTON — The coronavirus has exposed the weaknesses of the US safety net, forcing even conservative lawmakers to embrace its expansion for the duration of the crisis.
Throughout his term, President Trump has chipped away at the social safety net, proposing budgets that gutted housing assistance, food stamps and health insurance for the poorest Americans. When Congress rejected those cuts, the Trump administration enacted rules to make it harder to access federal benefits, such as requiring recipients to work.
Now, with businesses shuttered, workers laid off, and scores more worrying about buying groceries, being evicted and getting sick, the swelling need […]
Full Post at www.bostonglobe.com