Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) lambasts what he calls Republican “cruelty” as SNAP benefits are set to expire Saturday as a result of the government shutdown. CNN host Dana Bash asked Booker if Democrats bear some blame for the shutdown after repeatedly voting not to reopen the government.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Five days from now, New Jersey will vote on their next governor. Democrat Mikie Sherrill is leading in the polls, but those polls have gotten tighter in the campaign’s final days. If Republicans can pull off an upset or even come close, it could be a big psychological blow for Democrats who are trying to find their way in this second Trump era. Joining me now is the senior senator from the great state of New Jersey, Democrat Cory Booker. Thank you so much for being here. Before we get to the New Jersey election, I just want to talk about your day job, which is what’s happening or not happening in the United States Senate, and that is the shutdown. I know you’ve signed on to Republican Senator Josh Hawley’s bipartisan bill to fund SNAP, which is something that’s going to run out of money on Saturday. It funds and helps feed like 40 million people in this country. You say the Trump administration could tap into emergency funds to keep it afloat. I had House Speaker Mike Johnson on earlier this hour who insists that that is not constitutional. Talk about that in a second. But just kind of the big picture here. Democrats have been consistently voting no on just keeping the government running, opening the government. Are there some Democrats, do you, sir, because you voted no, bear some responsibility for endangering people’s food aid? SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): Well, you know, Donald Trump has said very bluntly that I’m going to cause maximum pain. And so his intention really is to use hunger as a political weapon, hunger of our children, families, disabled. It’s really striking to me, especially because we do have the constitutional authority to use the discretionary funds because it’s been done before. And that’s what really surprises me. The level of cruelty that is marking Republican leadership right now, that they would put children and families at risk during this fight. And really what it’s a fight over is exactly that. That there are too many families in America that work full time jobs, that have to make the tough decision between health care and feeding their families or between paying the rent and having enough money for groceries. This is an America where Donald Trump continues to pass bills that give billionaires and the wealthiest corporations tax breaks and cuts and guts school lunch programs, cuts — they already cut a billion dollars out of SNAP payments, that it cuts Medicaid. And so I don’t understand this level of cruelty from the Republican Party right now. Especially because when I talk to New Jerseyans and I’ve been meeting with people from hospital boards to people who run our food banks, many of them Republicans, actually, who can’t understand why we as a country would cause this much intentional pain to about half of our country that are struggling right now to make it. BASH: Well, I want you to listen to Elizabeth Austin. She’s a single mom of two who relies on SNAP. She was on CNN this morning and she was talking about what happens if and when that money runs out on Saturday. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ELIZABETH AUSTIN, SNAP RECIPIENT: It won’t stretch. It doesn’t. So we’ll pull from other parts of our budget, and that means my kids will go without. My daughter’s birthday is coming up. You know, it means I’ll compensate in other areas that I shouldn’t have to compensate. (END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: So you say that Republicans are being cruel, but it’s also true that you just have to vote yes and four other Democratic senators have to vote yes and the government will be reopened. And Elizabeth and 800,000 constituents of yours in New Jersey will at least in the short term not go without food. BOOKER: Well, you see the choice that the Republicans are trying to force here. Choose between New Jersey’s health insurance and health coverage or feeding New Jerseyans. This is a cruel choice that they’re trying to make. We’re saying that the richest country in the planet Earth has the ability to do both. To lower people’s health care costs and to give people the resources they need to eat. This is very personal to me. As you know, I’m the only United States senator that lives in an inner city area where the majority of my community, they’re working families, but are you know, we don’t mistake wealth with worth. But are — we’re about at the poverty line in my community where I live. I see families that everyday work hard and play by the rules and are getting screwed by a rigged economy. And that is of the Republicans making. Since Donald Trump has been in office, their grocery prices have gone up, their energy prices have gone up, their health care costs have gone up. And what we’re simply saying is this is one of those moments where the majority of Americans, they’re Republicans or independents or Democrats, the majority of Americans are hurting right now under Donald Trump’s economy. And I’m not giving my vote away to just see more of them plunged into further pain. People are about to get the sticker shock. November 1st, most Americans will now know that their health insurance will rise astronomically.

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