CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Democrats in the West Virginia House of Representatives are calling on federal politicians to take immediate action on funding for SNAP, which is set to be phased out in less than 48 hours.
“We asked Governor Morrisey to call us into a special session, and now we’re turning to our federal partners to make sure they do absolutely everything they can. This isn’t about games, this isn’t about politics. There are so many tools we can use to do this,” said Delegate Kayla Young (D-Kanawha).
House Minority Leader Delegate Sean Hornbuckle (D-Cabell) said the time for division along party lines is over.
“We will do what is right, we will do this as a state, and we will do it together. But I also want to warn you all that the campaign is over. We are not red, we are not blue, we are Team West Virginia,” Hornbuckle said.
To date, Governor Morrisey has committed $14.1 million to fund food banks in West Virginia. Hornbuckle said that wasn’t nearly enough.
“What the governor has done so far is simply not enough. It takes $1.5 million a day to feed hungry climbers. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a surplus of over $60 million. We have a medical cannabis fund, we could even follow the example of Ohio Governor DeWine who tapped the rainy day fund,” Hornbuckle said.
Delegate John Williams (D-Monongalia) said that with or without a special session, action must be taken quickly as SNAP funds are expected to run out on Saturday, November 1st.
“Let’s just get the money out of the governor’s emergency fund, and I don’t think there’s anyone here who would be opposed to going into session later and putting the money back into the governor’s emergency fund. But we need something now, we need something quickly, and this is one way to do that without having to have a special session,” Williams said.
The state’s Democratic delegates sent two letters to West Virginia’s congressional delegation as well as President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Both letters emphasize the urgency of providing SNAP benefits to those in need who rely on food assistance.
In the letter to Trump and Rollins, delegates stressed: “We cannot allow 28% of children in West Virginia and millions across the country to go hungry.”
“Food banks in Appalachia and across the country cannot meet this need,” House Democrats wrote to Trump and Rollins. “Our grocery stores and small businesses in rural communities rely on SNAP dollars to survive. Every day without action forces more families to make impossible choices between food, medicine and rent. Any stop to SNAP funding will have devastating health and economic impacts.”
In the letter to Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice and Representatives Carol Miller and Riley Moore, all Republicans, delegates emphasized that more than 270,000 West Virginians and millions of others across the country need congressional action now.
“You must use every resource at your disposal for our Mountaineers. Urge the Senate and House leadership to support the numerous standalone SNAP bills before you or negotiate to fully reopen the government and fully restore SNAP funding,” the letter to the state’s congressional delegation said. “Call on President Trump and Secretary Rollins to ensure that USDA acts immediately to release emergency funds previously appropriated by Congress for this very situation, and remind USDA to use its transfer authority under 7 USC § 2257 to fully fund benefits in November.”
“Without a solution, federal food assistance will become obsolete for the first time since the program began.”
W.Va. Democrats in the House of Representatives.
To learn more about finding food assistance programs in West Virginia, click here. For programs in southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, click here.
