(WSET) — Senators and delegates on both sides of the aisle in Virginia are working together to try to get back federal funding for food banks and other emergency food providers in the state.
The letter comes after federal cuts have left food banks in dire straits in Virginia. ABC13 recently covered one of those organizations located in Charlotte County, where DOGE cuts have stripped a critical food bank of its federal resources.
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Cases like that are what prompted a bipartisan letter to be delivered Friday from U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-10), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01). Together, the lawmakers wrote a letter to the Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, pushing against the cancellation of $500 million in funding that was previously approved through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
The lawmakers’ letter says that more than 400 food banks and pantries will be impacted by the cuts.
“Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributors, including food banks and community organizations at no cost,” the lawmakers wrote. “More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.”
The lawmakers are asking for more information about the decision to half funding. Here’s their full letter:
Dear Secretary Rollins:
We write regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to halt up to $500 million in funding intended to support food banks and other providers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Emergency food providers, producers, and community organizations across the country rely on TEFAP to deliver critical nutrition assistance to millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Virginians.
Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost. More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.
In Virginia, approximately 10 percent of households are “food insecure,” meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. On average, food pantry visits increased more than 20 percent in Virginia last year and Virginia food banks are spending five times more money now than in 2019 due to greater demand and higher food prices. TEFAP accounts for 20 percent of the food distributed by Virginia’s food banks, and the currently suspended CCC orders represent around one-third of all TEFAP product Virginia food banks were expecting this year.
Given any suspension of TEFAP affects Virginia’s families, growers, and communities, we request answers to the following questions:
1. Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
2. Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
3. Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.
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