Senator Jeff Sessions: GOAT?

Alabama's Senator Jeff Sessions got on a moral high-horse to defend the GOP's efforts to slash food stamps for poor Americans.

Is our national goal to place as many people on welfare, food stamp support, as we can possibly put on that program? Is that our goal? Is that a moral vision for the United States of America, just to see how many people we can place in a situation where they're dependent on the federal government for their food? I just ask that. I think we should wrestle with that question.

Senator Sessions was arguing against an Amenment to the Agriculture Bill sponsored by Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) to re-instate the $45 billion in the Food Stamp Program that the GOP had taken out. Apparently, feeding the poor is, in the eyes of Senator Sessions, a moral failing.

I've never met a liberal who thinks we need to keep as many people as possible on government assistance. On the contrary, liberals favor programs to educate and train people so they can get good paying jobs and be productive and self-sufficient. But to pretend that productivity and self-sufficiency will just happen if we take away poor people's food is equal parts cruel and stupid.

Proving that the GOP does not own all the copies of the Bible in DC, Senator Gillibrand took Senator Sessions to school - Sunday School, that is. She pointed out to Senator Sessions (and everyone else listening) that according to Matthew chapter 25, the first question we will be asked on Judgment Day is "Did you feed the poor?" Here's what Matthew 25 says.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. ”

Matthew 25:31-46 (emphasis added).

So, you see, for believers in the Gospel, as Senator Sessions claims to be, if you care for the poor - feed them, quench their thirst, tend them in their sickness, clothe them - the Lord will regard you as a sheep (a righteous and faithful follower) and you will remain in the presence of the Lord. Not so for the goats. Those who turn their backs on the poor (the "least of these brothers and sisters") are condemned to eternal punishment. So, you see, Senator Sessions is, according to the Bible, advocating the position of the infamous GOATS.

I'm sure Senator Sessions is busy trying to find an Ayn Rand version of the Bible to justify his utter lack of compassion, some way to twist these words around and put the goats of higher ground (mountain goats?). Unfortunately, one does not exist. She was an athiest.

A Bible-a-thon as justification for policy is not a good idea. The Bible is arcane and is used to justify bigotry, misogyny, and many other ills. But I understand the need to hoist the GOP on its own petarb when they get morally indignant in order to justify making poor children starve. I applaud Senator Gillibrand for her Bible knowledge and her commitment to doing something to ease the suffering of the poor in this, the wealthiest country in the world.

If Alabama could get above its raisin' and remove Jeff Session from the US Senate, we would have one less GOAT to deal with. Unfortunately, in Alabama, there is a line of younger GOATS waiting their turn behind him.