May 16, 2025.
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the House Agriculture Committee reviewed, debated and ultimately approved budget reconciliation legislation that would cut $300 billion in funding for SNAP through shifting a percentage of SNAP costs to states, expanding work requirements to parents of children over the age of seven and making future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan revenue neutral, which would impact future benefit levels for SNAP, Summer EBT and TEFAP. At the same time, the House Energy and Commerce Committee also approved budget reconciliation legislation to make $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid over ten years and increase the number of people without health insurance by at least 7.6 million by 2034―the largest cut in the history of the program.
The House will vote on this bill as soon as Thursday, May 22. We are asking you take action to let your Representative know that the House budget reconciliation bill would threaten food and health care access for children, seniors, and vulnerable populations in Virginia.
We need you to lend your voice. Let your federal elected officials know this is not the time to cut food assistance. The bill proposes several key changes:
- Imposing stricter work requirements on more seniors (up to age 65) and parents with children as young as 7, requiring proof of 20 hours of work per week to maintain benefits.
- Shifting costs to states, requiring them to pay between 5% to 25% of SNAP benefit amounts while increasing their administrative cost share from 50% to 75%—a burden that could hinder Virginia’s ability to respond effectively to economic downturns and natural disasters when the need for food assistance rises.
- Limiting future adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan, a USDA guideline for estimating the lowest cost of a nutritious diet. If food prices rise but the Plan remains unchanged, SNAP benefits won’t keep up, leaving families struggling to afford groceries.
How this impacts Virginia
The proposed state cost-share requirement would mean Virginia must cover 20% – 25% of SNAP benefits.
In 2024, Virginia received $1.766 billion in SNAP benefits from the federal government. At a 20% state share, this would amount to $353 million per year. At a 25% state share, Virginia would pay $441.5 million annually.
During times of recession or increased SNAP demand, these costs would likely climb, placing additional strain on the state budget.
The impact on Virginia families
Food insecurity remains a pressing issue, and food assistance providers across Virginia continue to see high levels of need. If these cuts proceed, families across the state—including children, seniors, veterans, and hardworking individuals—could struggle to access essential nutrition. To put into context how critical SNAP is, consider this. SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal that the charitable food network provides. Therefore, a cut in SNAP benefits has the potential for exponential increases in demand on the charitable food system. While food banks and charitable organizations work tirelessly to support those in need, they cannot offset the scale of reductions that this bill proposes.
Now more than ever, it is crucial to ensure that SNAP remains accessible and effective for the communities that rely on it.
Please contact your lawmakers (see instructions below) and tell them: Now is not the time to cut food or healthcare.
Thank you for taking action on this important issue. reases in demand on the charitable food system.
Here’s how you can help protect SNAP, and our neighbors experiencing food insecurity
- Dial 202-224-3121.
- If you do not know the name of your Congress Member, say, “I’m not sure.”
- Say, “Representative.”
- Say your zip code.
- Confirm the Representative.
- When connected with the office, you can leave a message with the staffer who answers or ask to be connected to the staffer who works on SNAP.
- Sample script: “Hi, my name is [your name], and I’m your constituent. I’m calling because I’m really concerned about the proposed cuts to SNAP. With grocery prices rising and more people struggling to afford food, now is the worst time to cut this program. SNAP helps more than 800,000 Virginians, including more than 300,000 children and 118,000 seniors put food on the table. I urge [Representative] to protect SNAP and oppose any cuts or state cost sharing.“
You can also submit a letter through your legislator’s contact page
Follow the steps below to identify your representative, find their contact page easily, copy and customize our suggested language, and submit.
Step #1 Identify your representative.
If you already know, skip to Step #2.
Find your legislator here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Step #2 Copy the text below, then edit the letter once you have pasted it into the legislator’s contact form (Step #3) and before submitting it (Step #5).
[To copy: Select the text below and click CNTL+C or Command + C]. Remember to replace the [bracketed] text with the correct information before clicking the submit button.
Dear [Decision Maker],
“My name is [your name], and I am your constituent. I’m writing to express my deep concern about the proposed cuts to SNAP. With rising grocery prices and increasing hunger in our community and across the country, cutting this vital program is unacceptable. SNAP helps more than 800,000 Virginians, including more than 300,000 children and 118,000 seniors put food on the table. Now is the worst time to make any cuts to the SNAP program. I urge you to oppose any state cost sharing or cuts to SNAP and to protect it for those who rely on it.”
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[POSITION OR TITLE IF APPLICABLE]
[ORGANIZATION NAME IF APPLICABLE]
Step #3 Select your legislator (click the button to visit their contact page):
U.S. House Members
U.S. Senate Members
Step #4 Paste your letter into the message box of the contact form.
(Here’s a proposed Subject Line: [No Cuts or Attempts to Weaken SNAP])
Step #5 Edit the letter. Replace the [bracketed] text with your information before clicking the submit button.
Step #6 Click the submit button on the form to send the letter to your representative.
Find out more about SNAP
Read the SNAP education page.
Read this article The Ripple Effect: How SNAP Cuts Could Overwhelm Food Banks and Deepen Hunger.
Majority of Likely Voters Want Government to do More to Address Food Insecurity. (Read more)
Why lawmakers must improve SNAP. (Read more)
How does SNAP impact Virginians? (Read more)
SNAP strengths. (Read more)
