By Paul Bean
In a special meeting last week, the House Committee on Human Services grappled with the repercussions from the federal One Big Beautiful Bill cutting SNAP benefits for Afghan refugees with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV).
The benefit cut has drawn non-partisan criticism over a perceived moral betrayal of those who risked all for U.S. troops.
The cuts took effect October 1 under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). They stripped eligibility from refugees and asylees nationwide, including an estimated 50 Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders in Vermont.
These individuals, who arrived as lawful permanent residents, were previously exempt from the program’s five-year waiting period for non-citizens.
State officials interpreted the OBB’s dense language as ending that exemption, consequently cutting benefits for 119 households overall, with 86 losing benefits entirely and 33 facing reductions.
“It’s not a suspension of any type,” said Representative Anne Donahue of Northfield by phone (I.) “They’re permanently terminated, unless at some point in the future the law changes. But under current law, they are permanently terminated.”
Donahue also wanted to make it very clear that this issue and the government shutdown are entirely different.
The OBBB said these special categories of refugees were ineligible, but many states found the wording obscure and needing direction from the feds. So, in those states, the payment continued.
However, the State of Vermont promptly suspended the food stamps payments to these Afghans.
We were tipped off to this story by Donahue when she called into Feedback Friday on Hot of the Press on WDEV on October 31st. Donahue, a member of the House Human Services committee said she and other committee members were “dumbfounded” when they learned the news. The committee promptly passed a resolution asking the state of Vermont to restore the food benefits.
“They came here because we promised them safety and support after they saved American lives,” said Donahue, a veteran legislator and ranking member of the House Human Services Committee.
“Let’s remember who these folks are.” she continued. “Vermont took a very active role in welcoming these immigrants. Phil Scott, in two different state of the state addresses, made these strong statements about how important it was for Vermont to be welcoming these people. And they were the parts of the speech where he got 100% ovation. It was a very big deal about us being welcome to immigrants, really welcoming these Afghan heroes, basically the ones who protected our American troops.”
“Some of them have gone on and, you know, have have been able to be very successful, but many of them are employed, but they’re in minimum wage jobs, learning the language, getting their driver’s licenses, all those things that mean that for a little while longer you need some extra support.”
“You’ve got the National Guard, the Adjutant General, I think is certainly concerned. Like, wait a minute, what about our commitment to the people who, who saved American lives, American troops lives, how could we be turning our back and why would we Vermont turn our back on them when it’s not clear?”
In the Afghan community of about 650 resettled since 2021, the impact has been immediate and
challenging. In Montpelier alone, 12 families, including more than 30 children, lost access to 3SquaresVT, the state’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as reported by Vermont Public.
Speaking on WDEV Radio’s ‘Hot Off the Press’ program hosted by Guy Page, Donahue recounted how she and her colleagues were “dumbfounded” upon learning of the suspension.
“These are working families, parents holding down multiple jobs to build new lives. To pull the rug out now feels like a betrayal of our word.”
“We can’t wait for Washington to sort this out,” Donahue said. “Vermont has a moral obligation to these allies, and an economic one too, these families are contributing to our farms, schools, and workforce.