Governor Youngkin Launches Emergency Food Aid Amid Federal Shutdown
Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced the launch of the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) initiative, a state-supported food assistance program designed to help vulnerable residents during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Established under Executive Order 54, VENA will roll out in early November as part of the State of Emergency declared by the Governor. To support the transition, Youngkin also pledged an additional $1 million in state funding for Virginia food banks to help offset potential disruptions in food assistance caused by the shutdown.
In announcing the program, Governor Youngkin criticized what he called a “dereliction of duty” by Congressional Democrats, accusing them of prioritizing politics over people’s needs. “The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance effort will be very similar to SNAP—but it is a complex, challenging solution,” said Youngkin. “We must ensure our most vulnerable Virginians are not without basic nutrition. Providing benefits in seven-day increments is an extraordinary step, but a necessary one under these circumstances.”
The Governor also called on Virginia’s U.S. Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats and former state governors, to support efforts to reopen the federal government. “They could vote to end this shutdown right now,” Youngkin said. “While Virginians await our Senators’ action, I refuse to let hungry Virginians be used as leverage by Congressional Democrats.” The Governor also thanked former President Donald Trump and his administration for assisting Virginia by extending WIC benefits and ensuring continued pay for military personnel.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly praised Youngkin’s move, highlighting the state’s fiscal discipline. “Thank you, Governor Youngkin, for ensuring that the most needy Virginians can continue to obtain life-giving nutrition as Thanksgiving month approaches,” Kelly said. She added that Virginia’s sound financial management and strong economy made it possible to step in with emergency food assistance.
The Commonwealth’s record job growth and budget surpluses have given Virginia the ability to temporarily replace federal SNAP benefits with its own parallel program. The administration also emphasized ongoing reforms to strengthen SNAP integrity by reducing fraud and error rates. Under VENA, recipients will need to meet the same eligibility requirements as SNAP participants.
Governor Youngkin Launches Emergency Food Aid Amid Federal Shutdown was originally published on ipowerrichmond.com
