Rep. Jen Kiggans Votes for Farm Bill that Leaves Virginia Families Hungry

Constituents Urge Her to Lower Costs for Working Families

Virginia Beach, VA – Today, Rep. Jen Kiggans voted to pass a Farm Bill that does not address the drastic cuts to SNAP included in the Republican Tax Law last summer. 

“This is another disappointment from Rep. Jen Kiggans,” said Emily Yeatts, Campaign Director for Affordable Virginia. “We’ve been advocating on this issue for months, and we know she’s hearing directly from families who are struggling to make ends meet after these devastating SNAP cuts that have resulted in a 13% drop in SNAP participation in Virginia. Instead of listening and taking action to lower costs for working families, she chose to double down on a bill that ignores the very real food insecurity crisis facing her constituents.”

The Republican Tax Law cut $186.5 billion from the SNAP program to pay for bigger tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, putting 78,000 Virginians at risk of losing their food assistance benefits. SNAP supports over 800,000 people in Virginia and 33,000 veterans. New reporting shows that SNAP participation has declined dramatically since the law's enactment, with participation down over 13% in Virginia.

These cuts come after Virginians are already dealing with increasing costs on everyday essentials and groceries. Tariffs are a large contributor, and Rep. Jen Kiggans has voted multiple times over the last year for cost-raising and job-killing tariffs, even as her constituents have urged her to take action and as prices remain high and job losses are mounting. Reports estimate tariffs could cost families nearly $5,000 more in annual grocery costs.