Massachusetts welfare recipients have been using their EBT cards while on tropical vacations to Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other trips thousands of miles away from their home state, an investigation by the Boston Herald revealed.
Public records obtained by the outlet showed dozens of EBT card expenditures at several popular vacation destinations, including California, Florida, and Alaska, as well numerous holiday islands.
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While the federal and state governments spent $3 billion on the taxpayer-funded EBT cards in Massachusetts during Fiscal Year 2024, 32 charges were made in Hawaii — with the largest expenditure being $378 on the island of Maui in March, the report found.
Dozens of other purchases made by welfare recipients pinged from all over the Virgin Islands and Alaska, including a $395 charge in Anchorage, a popular cruise port.
In fact, EBT recipients in the blue state have spent taxpayer dollars in virtually every U.S. state, and all over tourist hotspots in Florida and California.
Use of the cards while traveling must be approved, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance said in a statement to Fox News:
Individuals receiving public assistance through the Department of Transitional Assistance use these benefits to meet their most basic needs and qualify by having an annual income that is at least 200 percent below the federal poverty level. State and federal laws regulate what can be purchased with benefits and where purchases can be made, and any out-of-state usage beyond approved temporary absences can result in an individual no longer receiving assistance due to not meeting Massachusetts residency requirements.
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State Sen. Ryan Fattman (R) reacted to the Boston Herald‘s report, calling the shocking revelations “insanity and government at its worst.”
“This makes no sense. It’s insanity and government at its worst,” he told the publication. “What the hell is someone doing in Hawaii? We need this money to help feed families. This tells me there’s a major problem with this system.”
Massachusetts, a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, allows migrants to have access to these government-funded welfare benefits as well.
“An estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants have flocked to the state since 2021,” reported Fox News.