October 26, 2025
Both Louisiana and Virginia have made it clear that a state of emergency can only keep SNAP going.
As the federal government shutdown stretches on, Louisiana and Virginia have both declared states of emergency to ensure that low-income residents continue to receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
According to the Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order on Oct. 24 directing $150 million in state funds to temporarily cover SNAP payments from November 1 to 4. The move followed a unanimous vote by the Louisiana House authorizing the use of state money to fill the gap while Congress remains at a stalemate.
“It’s a choice between using money that we have or people going hungry,” said Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry. “That’s why we have the fund balances that we have.”
Roughly 793,000 Louisianans — or 17% of the state’s population — depend on SNAP benefits each month. While Landry’s order covers only a few days, legislators hope to extend coverage if the shutdown continues. “We are sending a clear message that the people of Louisiana are the priority,” said Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Advocates for low-income families applauded the action. “Kudos to the Legislature for making this a priority and stopping the disruption of the SNAP program,” said Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a similar emergency measure to safeguard benefits for about 850,000 residents. The state will tap into its $10 billion surplus to keep the program funded, at a cost of around $150 million per month.
“Benefits that support 850,000 Virginians who need food assistance—850,000 who are the least of these and demand the best of us,” Youngkin said. He emphasized that while the state can step in to assist with SNAP for now, “we can’t do it forever.”
Virginia’s program will remain funded through October, but the governor pledged to launch an unprecedented state-backed plan on November 1 if federal payments are not restored. “The entire objective is for those Virginians who receive these benefits to not see a moment’s gap or any interruption,” he said.
With Congress deadlocked over government spending and healthcare subsidies, the federal impasse has left millions uncertain about access to essential programs like SNAP. “This is a shutdown of Republicans’ own making because they won’t fund the government unless they can rip healthcare away from millions of Americans,” said Rep. Jennifer McClellan, a Virginia Democrat.
As Washington continues to debate, both Louisiana and Virginia are taking matters into their own hands — using state dollars to make sure families don’t go hungry.
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