Merry Christmas, everyone.

From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Tim Desher, and this is Heritage Explains.

The Trump administration is making some big changes to the food stamp program.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized a new rule expected to end food stamps

for nearly 700,000 people.

That was last week after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue moved forward with a Trump administration goal to close loopholes used by states to allow recipients to remain on food stamps longer while not actively seeking a job or work training.

I'm sure you can guess where this is heading.

Here's a leading voice on the left, Julian Castro.

It's stupid, it's cruel.

It's exactly the wrong direction.

We need to actually be providing more opportunity for people to get the food that they need.

And bringing his usual tidings of good cheer.

Here's Senator Chuck Schumer from the Senate floor.

The Trump administration is driving the vulnerable into hunger.

Just as the Christmas season approaches.

It is heartless, it is cruel, exposes a deep and shameful cruelness and hypocrisy in this administration.

Wow. Harsh.

But before the Grinch completely steals Christmas, let's at least hear from our Secretary of Agriculture, Sunny Purdue.

What we want to do is increase employment. We need these people in the workforce.

People who've been on the welfare, been on food stamps. We're trying to get them. And sometimes it is difficult when you've been out of a job for a long time. We're trying to

help these people get back into personal dignity of work and becoming part of the productive

economy of the United States. Work is a good thing.

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