Leaders in the Vermont House of Representatives announced Thursday that they plan to fully fund food and heating assistance programs to prevent Vermonters from losing benefits as a result of the ongoing Republican-led federal government shutdown.
Without state intervention, officials said, more than 65,000 Vermonters could lose access to 3SquaresVT (SNAP) and LIHEAP benefits — programs that provide critical food and heating fuel support for working families, older adults, and low-income households.
“The Republican-led shutdown in Congress has created an incredible amount of uncertainty and anxiety for Vermonters, with people wondering how they will put food on the table and money to heat their homes,” said House Speaker Jill Krowinski, joined by Representatives Emilie Kornheiser, Theresa Wood, and Robin Scheu.
Krowinski said the Legislature’s plan is aimed at offsetting the most immediate fallout from the shutdown and from President Trump’s budget bill, which she said also includes “the loss of financial assistance for health insurance, increased taxes on working families, and cuts to Medicare.”
Representatives Kornheiser and Scheu serve on the Vermont Emergency Board, a panel that includes two senators and the governor. Lawmakers are coordinating with Governor Phil Scott and his administration to schedule an Emergency Board meeting next week to approve temporary state funding for the federal programs.
“This is exactly why Vermont’s legislative and executive leaders must work together to protect our neighbors,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “No Vermonter should go without food or heat because of dysfunction in Washington. We’re ready to act, and we’ll keep showing up to make sure people get the support they need, now.”