South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer released a statement over the weekend, refusing to back down from comments he made in which he compared needy people to "stray animals."
"I do not care about being politically correct," Bauer said. "I care about being honest. And we honestly have a problem of dependency which is getting worse instead of better."
While speaking before an audience in the town of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, over the weekend, Bauer argued that providing government food assistance to lower-income residents - things like food stamps or free school lunches - encourages a culture of dependence.
"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer said.
"You know why? Because they breed," he added. "You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply."
Bauer continued, "They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."
The comments led both parties to criticize Bauer, who is currently running for Governor of South Carolina. Though Bauer admits he could have chosen his words more carefully, he refused to back down from the meaning behind them.
"We are a compassionate people, and we will always take care of those who are truly needy, as we should," Bauer said in his statement over the weekend.
"But there are also those who are NOT truly needy, merely lazy or greedy, who are taking advantage of the system," he added. "And, unfortunately, the system is actually designed to encourage them to take advantage of it."
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.