Geary Higgins, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, said that Governor Glenn Youngkin is taking measures to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue for vulnerable residents while criticizing Washington Democrats during the government shutdown. The statement was made on the social media platform X.
“Governor Youngkin is stepping up to ensure vulnerable Virginians continue to receive SNAP benefits while Democrats in DC continue to play games with the American people’s livelihoods,” said Higgins, Candidate. “I’m grateful we have a Governor who actually cares about Virginians!”
According to Reuters, Virginia took action in late October 2025 to maintain food aid during the shutdown. Governor Youngkin declared a state of emergency on October 23 and directed state funds to sustain benefits through the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) program. This initiative issues weekly Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payments while SNAP is paused. The order allowed for the use of emergency funds and tasked the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) with implementation through November.
About 850,000 Virginians depend on SNAP, and the state initiated weekly VENA payments to cover a projected lapse starting November 1. Following new federal guidance, VDSS anticipated approximately 65% of November SNAP benefits would be issued by the following Thursday. VDSS also clarified eligibility criteria for current October SNAP recipients and established a Monday/Wednesday/Friday disbursement schedule.
The Washington Post reported that other jurisdictions adopted different strategies: Maryland allocated $62 million to address its November gap, and Washington D.C. used $30 million from reserves. Virginia was the first to provide weekly state-funded benefits. Partial federal funds later covered about half of November’s costs, necessitating states to fill in the remaining gap to prevent service interruptions.
Higgins is a Republican representing District 30 in the Virginia House of Delegates since January 10, 2024. He previously served on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, focusing on local governance and budgeting—issues central to discussions on social services during the shutdown.
Virginia administers SNAP through its Department of Social Services and 120 local agencies. Under Code of Virginia §44-146.17, gubernatorial emergency powers allow declaring emergencies and spending funds to protect health and welfare. These authorities facilitated VENA’s temporary benefits during the federal funding lapse.
