Trump Policies 'Playing With People's Ability To Eat': VA Advocate

FAIRFAX, VA — A Northern Virginia congressman called the Trump administration's announcement that it would partially fund the nation’s largest food aid program for November — despite two judges issuing rulings requiring the government to fully fund the program — another attempt to defy the Constitution.

"We've seen time after time after time, when the Trump administration gets an adverse judicial ruling that they walk right up to the line of defying the judicial ruling," U.S. Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-11th) told Patch on Monday.

Nearly 29,000 households in Fairfax County, representing more than 56,000 individuals, rely on the SNAP and receive about $9.9 million in food benefits each month, according to Walkinshaw.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the federal government shutdown, according to the Associated Press. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

"I deeply, profoundly wish they would figure this out, because they're playing with people's ability to eat. It. It is a basic human need," said Deb Haynes, executive director of Food for Other. "However, half is better than none, and I know that everybody who depends on those benefits will be incredibly grateful to have that."

Related:

• Virginia To Tap State Funds To Assist SNAP Recipients
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• Judges Order SNAP Benefits Must Continue: What It Means For VA

Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use emergency funds to pay for the program, at least in part. The judges gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund SNAP and a deadline of Monday to decide.

"They're trying to make it as difficult as possible for the courts to do their legal job in interpreting the law," Walkinshaw said. "It's clear what the law says they have to use the contingency fund, that full contingency fund, and that's what they should be doing."

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On Monday afternoon, the congressman visited the Food for Others food pantry in Merrifield to see how the government shutdown and federal firings have impacted the nonprofit's mission of feeding the county's food insecure residents. He paid a similar visit earlier in the day to the Western Fairfax Christian Ministries food pantry.

In 2024, Food for Others served more than 64,000 individuals, distributing 3.8 million pounds of food — roughly 3.2 million meals. The nonprofit has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of residents visiting the pantry.

Demand for food assistance has grown, especially since the shutdown. "It wasn't as noticeable before the shutdown, but now it's very noticeable across our region," Haynes said.

The food insecurity rate in Fairfax County is currently at 26 percent, which means about a quarter of the population is seeking food assistance to survive, according to Haynes. The fastest-rising group is people earning a middle income.

"The majority of our clients are, in fact, employed, or they're seniors, or they're disabled," she said, adding that more than 105,000 Fairfax County residents struggle to buy enough food for their families.

Of the households affected by recent layoffs and furloughs during the shutdown, 41 percent were already food insecure, according to Haynes.

"The biggest cuts have been the USDA cuts and the free food, so I'm having to spend money instead of getting it free," she said. "It's a huge funding cut. In terms of individual donors, people have been stepping up, especially during this most recent emergency with the shutdown."

On Nov. 1, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) declared a state of emergency to provide hunger relief for Virginians.

“The Democrat Shutdown will cause SNAP benefits to run out for over 850,000 Virginians in need starting November 1, 2025," he said. "I refuse to let hungry Virginians be used as ‘leverage’ by Congressional Democrats. I am declaring a State of Emergency due to the Democrat Shutdown to protect hungry Virginians in need."

Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance will provide emergency food assistance to eligible SNAP households while the federal shutdown continues in November, according to release. VENA will be implemented directly by the Virginia Department of Social Services, without the county's involvement.

On Monday, emergency food assistance under VENA was added to existing SNAP EBT cards. Benefits will be paid on a weekly basis in November.

Tips From Fairfax County For SNAP Participants

• Check your EBT card balance before you shop:
  • Download the ConnectEBT app for free from Apple or Google app stores and check your balance.
  • Visit ConnectEBT and select Virginia EBT from the dropdown box.
  • Swipe your card at the Point-of-Sale device in store, enter your PIN, and do a balance inquiry.
  • Call 1-866-281-2448, enter the 16 digit number on your card, and hear the balance inquiry.
• Protect your benefits from fraud by locking your card after each purchase with the ConnectEBT app. Download the app for free from Apple and Google app stores.
• Do not give your EBT card, card number, password, or PIN to anyone not authorized to use your card.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.