Virginia Leaders Raise Alarms on Harmful SNAP Cuts

Virginia leaders and community advocates gathered in Richmond to raise alarms over sweeping federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The HR1 bill will slash $187 billion from SNAP by 2034, stripping vital food support from millions of Americans — including more than 440,000 families in Virginia.

Children and Families at Risk

For families with children, SNAP is more than a food program — it’s a lifeline. It not only helps parents keep groceries on the table but also determines eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals. Cutting these benefits threatens children’s nutrition, health, and academic success.

“A study published this year found that SNAP helps protect kids from developing heart disease, but rather than Making America Healthy Again, this historic cut to SNAP will do just the opposite,” said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan.

For Virginia mother Asia Broadie, SNAP is what keeps her children fed and focused: “I have to rely on SNAP to help me feed my kids so that I can make ends meet. Taking people’s food away from them is so cruel. My kids are doing well in school because they’re obviously fed. They can get some fresh fruit in the morning before heading out to school. I want my kids to have a nice career one day, and SNAP helps them focus in class, to be able to do that.”

Economic Ripple Effects

The cuts won’t just harm families; they will ripple through local economies, especially in underserved neighborhoods where independent grocery stores rely heavily on SNAP sales.

“Independent grocery stores operate on slim margins. When you have low margins and high fixed costs, you have to have high volume. In any given month, over 20% of our sales are paid for with SNAP dollars. Without SNAP I don’t know if we could still make it,” said Derek Houston, CEO of The Market at 25th in Richmond.

Veterans Face New Barriers

The bill also imposes stricter work-reporting requirements on nearly 35,000 military veterans in Virginia who rely on SNAP to make ends meet.

“No veteran who has served this country should ever have to worry about going hungry in this country,” said State Senator Ghazala Hashmi.