WASHINGTON — Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner penned a letter on Saturday to the Secretary of Agriculture stressing the importance of consistent funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The letter addressed to Sonny Perdue, expressed the Senators' concerns with the ability to support states and grocery stores after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) decided to issue February SNAP benefits weeks ahead of schedule.
“Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was taking the unprecedented step of issuing SNAP benefits a month early to ensure that individuals are able to receive their benefits for February. While we are pleased that USDA was able to identify funds to continue SNAP benefits during the shutdown, we are concerned the agency is not providing adequate support to states and grocery retailers, who are dealing with the massive logistical challenge of distributing SNAP benefits weeks earlier than normal,” wrote the Senators.
USDA has been impacted by the government shutdown. Nearly 95 percent of USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) workers have been furloughed, which impacts the agency’s ability to run SNAP.
Over 776,000 Virginians rely on SNAP to meet their basic needs. The program keeps more than 150,000 Virginians, including 79,000 children, out of poverty every year.
