On Thursday, Oct. 23, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a statewide emergency to address funding shortages in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) caused by the federal government shutdown. The state government says it will use emergency funds to ensure that vulnerable populations continue to receive food assistance.
In a statement, Youngkin noted that the federal shutdown would result in over 850,000 Virginia residents losing food stamp benefits starting Nov.1.
“I refuse to let hungry Virginians be used as ‘political pawns’ by congressional Democrats. Therefore, I am declaring a state of emergency to protect these people in need,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin emphasized that this measure is “highly unusual” but necessary under the circumstances. He criticized congressional Democrats for refusing to pass a “clean continuing resolution” (CR) to reopen the federal government, while also thanking President Trump and his administration for federal-level assistance.
Declaring a state of emergency allows the governor to use emergency funds under “as-needed” authority to safeguard the health, welfare, and safety of Virginia residents.
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Several states warn: Food assistance may be interrupted in November
This week, multiple U.S. states warned that if the federal shutdown extends into the fourth week, tens of millions of people relying on food assistance could lose benefits in November.
At least 20 state websites have issued notices urging recipients of SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program to prepare.
State data indicates this potential disruption could affect over 41 million SNAP beneficiaries and nearly 7 million WIC recipients.
Minerva Delgado, Director of Outreach and Advocacy at the Alliance to End Hunger, warned: “If this continues, many families will be hurt, and we all know they are already struggling to get by.”
Governments in Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas have publicly stated that if the shutdown continues into next week, November food benefits may not be distributed on time. Representatives from 11 national and state-level anti-hunger organizations and food banks told Reuters that they are ramping up preparations to assist SNAP and WIC families who might face interruptions.
Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, said: “If benefits are not delivered, more people will have to skip meals or make sacrifices on bills and other expenses to feed their families.”
Currently, Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other for the second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Democrats have refused to vote for a spending bill, arguing that it could raise healthcare costs for many Americans. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation that if the government is not reopened before November, “food stamp benefits will disappear.”
Some state governments have advised residents to prepare in advance. Oregon’s Department of Human Services stated: “We encourage all SNAP recipients to familiarize themselves with free food resources in their communities and plan ahead for how to cope if November benefits are not received on time.”
Food banks and anti-hunger organizations told Reuters they are trying to increase fundraising, but warehouses are overwhelmed by record demand and cannot replace federal aid. Jim Conwell, Vice President of Communications at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, admitted: “Things are not good; we are now serving far more people than before the pandemic.”
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted that the USDA currently has about $5 billion in emergency funds, which could partially cover one month of SNAP benefits, but the program costs about $8 billion per month to operate. The USDA has not responded on whether it plans to use these funds.
Georgia Machell, CEO of the National WIC Association, said that earlier this month the Trump administration used about $300 million in tariff revenue to fund October’s WIC program but has not indicated whether it will continue to do so in November. She warned that without additional funds, “November could see an unprecedented disruption of WIC services.”
By Gao Yun
