How is the federal government shutdown impacting Virginia?
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As the nation approaches day 26 of the second-longest government shutdown in history, Virginia remains one of the most impacted states in the country.
On Thursday, Oct. 23, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency due to concerns regarding those on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In a report released by the City of Richmond detailing procedures amidst the shutdown, it states that SNAP benefits could end as early as Nov. 1.
The Trump Administration, via the White House website, has outlined challenges facing all U.S. states. According to the report, Virginia has seen a weekly decline of around $396 million in Gross State Product since the shutdown began.
Virginia is also home to 825,000 SNAP beneficiaries, 320,000 of whom are children. Currently, around 189,000 federal workers in Virginia are either furloughed or working without pay, which is approximately 4.7% of the state's workforce, according to the White House report.
Small Business Association (SBA) loans are currently frozen and could face delays of approximately $53 million should the shutdown last for a month, according to the report. Additionally, should the shutdown extend four more days to a full month, federal contract spending could experience a cut of around $3 billion in Virginia.
"Combining this with federal employees going unpaid, consumer spending from lost wages will fall by an estimated $3.6 billion in Virginia each month the government shut down extends," the White House report claims.
Benefits for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are currently at risk, despite an infusion of $300 million from the Trump Administration on Oct. 7.
“The National WIC Association is grateful for the emergency funds that kept WIC running this month. However, without additional support, State WIC Agencies face another looming crisis,” Georgia Machell, the president and CEO of the NWA, said in a Tuesday press release.
Machel says several state agencies will run out of funds on Nov. 1.
"In Virginia, there are approximately 107,000 WIC recipients who rely on the program for nutritional support for themselves and their children," the White House report reads.
