Virginia governor declares emergency over SNAP cuts
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Thursday after federal food assistance benefits expired because of the government shutdown. More than 850,000 state residents depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for groceries.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned on Oct. 16 that funding for 40 million Americans would run out on Nov. 1. The shutdown began on Oct. 1 as lawmakers deadlocked over health care spending related to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.
Virginia law permits governors to control food distribution systems and use unrestricted state treasury funds for disaster relief. Republican Senator Josh Hawley proposed legislation to maintain benefits, but Congress has not voted on the measure.
