Attorney General Jay Jones Urges Congress to Restore SNAP Benefits and Protect Food Assistance in Farm Bill

Attorney General Jay Jones Urges Congress to Restore SNAP Benefits and Protect Food Assistance in Farm Bill 

Coalition Calls on Senate to Reverse Federal Cuts that Threaten Food Assistance for Millions of Americans 

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jay Jones today joined a coalition of 23 other attorneys general in urging congressional leaders to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and eligibility protections in the upcoming Farm Bill and reject efforts to reduce food assistance.  

In a letter to Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Attorney General Jones and the coalition warned that recent federal SNAP cuts – the largest reductions to food assistance in modern history – are exacerbating food insecurity, creating new bureaucratic hurdles for eligible families, and shifting billions of dollars in costs onto states and local governments. The letter urges the Senate to reaffirm a bipartisan commitment that no American should go hungry because they cannot afford food as they consider the next Farm Bill. 

“Hardworking Virginians are facing a cost crisis, and they are struggling to afford basic necessities like food and housing. Instead of working to bring costs down, Congress is slashing food assistance programs that families rely on. Congress must reverse the detrimental cuts that have been made to SNAP in the upcoming Farm Bill,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “Access to food should not be a partisan issue. This office will keep fighting for Virginia’s most vulnerable.” 

SNAP provided critical support to 752,346 Virginians in May of 2026 alone, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services. New federal restrictions passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including expanded work requirements and additional administrative hurdles, make it significantly harder for Virginians to keep their benefits and threatens to push them off the program altogether. In the letter, Attorney General Jones and the coalition argue that expanded requirements and administrative hurdles do not create jobs or reduce poverty. Instead, they cause eligible families to lose assistance because they are unable to navigate increasingly complex bureaucratic requirements.   

Attorney General Jones and the coalition are urging the Senate to take a different approach from the House-passed Farm Bill, which fails to reverse recent cuts to food assistance. They are calling on the Senate to restore SNAP benefit levels and funding, reverse or delay new cost-sharing requirements, and roll back expanded work requirements and eligibility restrictions. They also urge the Senate to reject further benefit cuts, preserve state flexibility, and strengthen access to nutrition assistance for seniors, children, veterans, and working families. 

The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman, and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar. Joining Attorney General Jones in sending the letter, which was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. 

Published on: June 16, 2026

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