Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is being called out after she claimed the Trump administration's new food stamp revisions "might've just starved" her family had the changes been in place in 2008, Fox News is reporting.
The congresswoman tweeted on Thursday: "My family relied on food stamps (EBT) when my dad died at 48. I was a student. If this happened then, we might've just starved. Now, many people will. It's shameful how the GOP works overtime to create freebies for the rich while dissolving lifelines of those who need it most."
But some claimed she was misrepresenting a new rule that only applies to childless, able-bodied adults under age 50. The Agriculture Department had finalized a rule on Wednesday that will limit states from exempting work-eligible adults from having to maintain regular employment in order to receive benefits, according to Fox News.
The Heritage Foundation pushed back at Ocasio-Cortez's claims, tweeting: "The rule applies to able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who do not have dependents. The rule wouldn't apply to parents with minor children, the elderly, or disabled people."
Fox News noted Ocasio-Cortez was 19 and was set to begin her sophomore year at Boston University when her father passed away. The news network noted it is likely her mother would have claimed her as a dependent back then.
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