If you go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website to learn about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, you’ll see a message about benefits disappearing.

Visitors are greeted with: “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”

The message takes up half the page on mobile devices. It’s inescapable. But people don’t apply for SNAP benefits on the USDA site. Users have to apply via their states’ site, by mail or in person.

If you go to the state of Georgia site to learn about SNAP, you’ll also see a message about benefits disappearing.

Visitors are greeted with: “Update on November SNAP Amid Federal Government Shutdown | November benefits suspended until Congress approves funds.”

That link takes you to an explainer about suspended benefits.

There’s no mention of Senate Democrats. There’s no mention of Democrats or Republicans.

If you go to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s site, there’s a link to food resources for those impacted by the impending SNAP cuts. The Georgia Republican tweeted her thanks to all of the people who have donated time and service at northwest Georgia food banks, sharing the link to the food banks that aimed to serve as a backup. 

Although an earlier tweet blamed Georgia’s two Democratic senators for not voting to fund the government, four weeks into the shutdown, she’s also focused on sharing helpful information without blame. 

According to congressional Democrats, this shutdown is all about health care premiums. They’re blaming a GOP president, a majority-GOP Senate and majority-GOP House for not negotiating to end the shutdown. 

Each party is blaming the other over health care. Nothing new there. 

But Greene seems to understand why health care is an issue worth fighting over, becoming one of the loudest critics on the right warning about health insurance premiums doubling. She blames Democrats for the overall problem but continues to say she wants to solve the crisis. And she’s calling out her own party for not presenting an alternative plan. 

Her positions are both interesting and surprising — albeit not entirely surprising, as she tends to stand up for things she’s always advocated (she has an A+ rating on pro-life issues from Susan B. Anthony, continues to call for the release of the Epstein files, remains steadfastly against foreign aid, etc.). 

But because she’s safe in her seat and is looking beyond her next two election cycles, it’s a valid question to ask: Is Greene an outlier? Or is she the future of the party?

Would anyone care about Greene’s attitudes about health care if the government wasn’t shut down? Probably not. But when the government is shut down and she’s one of the only people in her party expressing discontent with Speaker Mike Johnson keeping members out of D.C., her decision to buck the party line has given a large swath of the left reason to reconsider the words of one of their most despised politicians. 

A handful of tweets and television appearances by one congressperson does not portend the future. But it may mark an interesting and important turning point. 

Greene is quite open about her support of President Donald Trump and the America First agenda. During an Oct. 22 appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show, she reminded everyone that she read the tea leaves correctly when most every other GOP congressperson cast aside Trump after Jan. 6, 2021. 

Not Greene. For better or worse, her influence has increased as she’s stood by the movement. 

But what happens when the movement’s largest champion realizes affordable health care is more important than toeing the party line? 

Greene has blamed Senate Democrats for the current government shutdown and has called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use the “nuclear option” to keep the government running without Senate Democratic votes. But she also acknowledges the reason why there’s a shutdown in the first place. She blames her party (but not the president) for the shutdown. 

According to the most recent Quinnipiac poll, 45 percent of registered voters think Republicans in Congress are more responsible for the government shutdown, 39 percent think Democrats in Congress are more responsible and 11 percent think both parties are equally responsible. 

Greene is aware of the polls. She’s mentioned the shutdown poll numbers in recent appearances. Now, she’s acknowledging things are going to get worse with SNAP benefits disappearing. 

Unlike most other members of her party, she’s not joining the MAGA echo chamber. Nor is she evolving into a Bernie Sanders-like outsider. This Marjorie Taylor Greene is the same person she was at the start of this administration. The difference is who the majority of Americans are blaming. 

Rather than just pointing a finger at the party not in power, she’s also shining a light on the lack of leadership within her party — and during an era when MAGA doesn’t turn on MAGA.

At least they didn’t before Oct. 1.