Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) on Friday responded to a constituent opposed to drastically cutting food stamps for the young, elderly and poor by citing a Biblical quote: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

After House GOP leaders capitulated to conservative demands, Cramer on Thursday joined 216 other House Republicans in narrowly passing legislation to cut food stamp spending by nearly $40 billion over 10 years. A constituent, Kevin R Tengesdal, took to Cramer’s Facebook page to express his apparent displeasure by quoting some Biblical passages:

Cramer subsequently responded by citing a different passage from the Bible, one more favorable to his position on federally funded nutrition assistance.

“2 Thessalonians 3:10 English Standard Version (ESV) 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat,” he wrote.

In a Grand Forks Herald op-ed earlier Friday, Cramer explained that the cuts were necessary “to restore the solvency of nutrition assistance while advancing the dignity of work.”

“When did America become a country where working for benefits is no longer noble?” he asked.

h/t North Decoder