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by VDC Staff
Information for In Committee news reports are sourced from GoldenDomeVt.com and the General Assembly website.
Should all Vermonters receive food assistance benefits? This idea was voiced Thursday in the House Committee on Human Services by Molly Gray, the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, former Vermont Lieutenant Governor, and 2026 Democratic candidate for Vermont Lieutenant Governor. Gray was joined by Drukhshan Farhad, the Program Officer of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, for testimony on updates to noncitizen eligibility of 3SquaresVT, which is Vermont’s version of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
Gray explained the background of the challenges that the Vermont Afghan community have faced over the last year under the Trump administration, especially regarding losses in assistance benefits. HR1, aka “The Bill Beautiful Bill, drew particular criticism from Gray as the federal legislation ended SNAP benefits as of January 2026 for anyone who isn’t a legal permanent resident. This federal action left many stranded this month with few options.
“So this population no longer has access to food through the state of Vermont. Yet the situation for them has not changed. There are still individuals who may have a disability. There are still moms who have kids. There are still individuals who are working one, sometimes two jobs, but still aren’t making enough money to pay the bills and to pay for food, just like any other Vermont families”, said Gray.
In the fall of 2025, Vermont Afghan communities and others were deemed ineligible by the state for 3SquaresVT, unless they had been a lawful permanent resident for five years or longer. Gray and others during the committee discussion claimed that this decision was made in error. Gray also mentioned that by losing 3SquaresVT eligibility, families also lost access to other benefits and programs that use enrollment in 3SquaresVT as a qualifying benefit.
It was at this point during her testimony that Gray suggested that the state could implement a universal statewide food assistance program for all Vermont residents. Gray suggested that the theoretical program could be paid solely from Vermont taxpayer funds to avoid having any federal taxpayer funds that may cause issues with eligibility.
During their joint testimony, Gray and Farhad criticized Governor Scott’s administration for its handling of the 3SquaresVT benefits loss in 2025 and recommended that they provide training for their staff based on Farhad’s lengthy testimony of interacting with DCF staff. During their testimony, Committee Chair Theresa Wood also voiced her criticisms of the Scott administration. “Our state government acted precipitously in making decisions that we frankly, in this committee had heard plenty of testimony to understand were wrong. And they were proven wrong and they reversed them”, said Wood.
This is not the first time in the 2025-2026 biennium that lawmakers have publicly criticized Vermont DCF. In 2025, the department and administration were criticized over its handling of H.91 when a memo of Governor Scott’s key policy positions for the bill was presented to the committee the evening before the bill was due to be voted out of the committee. This led to delay and scrambling before a vote was taken on the bill, which did ultimately pass to the Senate floor. In particular, Senator Ann Cummings (D-Washington) expressed what she viewed as the administration’s unprofessionalism and approach of disrespect towards the committee’s efforts.
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Categories: Elections
You know, Gray has this supposed “lofty” resume but she seems incapable of considering that VERMONT TAXPAYERS are already looking at 41% increase in property taxes and we had a mass exodus (for our small state) largely due to the unaffordability of living here. And yet she suggests this “Gray suggested that the state could implement a universal statewide food assistance program for all Vermont residents” ??????? MORE AND MORE AND MORE taxes???? Thats all these people know how to do. Tax and spend….well the rest of us know how to pack and move.
Exactly! Typical Democrat/Socialist idea. Tax us to death and waste our money. Why do we even have an Afghan Community. They must not be citizens if they don’t qualify! I don’t want any of my tax money going to non citizens!
Gray is an expert at pandering to her base by using OPM (other people’s money) to virtue signal. Her charity comes from a federal printing press.
Isn’t she trying to get elected to be Lt Gov. If that happens then we all are in trouble
Remember that democrats consider anyone who shows up in Vermont to be a Vermonter and eligible for the handouts offered. Could that be a reason why there are so many homeless and such a crime and drug problem?
And the ones who arrive here who have money end up on town selectboards and in the legislature, and take our money through their bold ideas and initiatives.
What di you do when you have no money? Get a job, boom, now you have food. This is obviously very hard to teach. Maybe it’s the language barrier?
Another one who claims to know how to spend your money… better than you, who worked and earned it.
Food for all, paid by those who work…feeding the freeloaders, who laugh at the suckers feeding them for free.
Don’t vote for this loony bird!
We have that already it’s called get a job
Any able bodied Vermonters who receive food benefits should have to go work on a farm, farm stand, farmers market or community garden a certain amount of hours a week. Now we solved our farm labor shortage.
Senator Gray, I find it ironic that the Democratic Party that you identify with has spent the taxpayers of Vermont into oblivion . You and your party have simply made this state for its own citizens unaffordable to live in. We now have the distinction of the state with the fastest shrinking population in the entire nation. Your party allowed people from out of state that were noncitizens of VT. to arrive here with the claim of being homeless and immediately gave them a place to live and I am sure a list of other benefits without question. You now want to include the afghan community rather they are legal or not the 3square program.
Senator Gray, when migrants came to our country through Ellis Island , those people were well aware that upon arriving that they were expected to find employment and earn a living to support a family on their own. There was not welfare or any of those social aids that by your standards you seem to feel are expected. Instead of being a drain on the tax paying citizens and our society, they contributed to growing our beautiful country. At what point do you feel that a legal immigrant in this country should stop expecting a hand out and start contributing to our country?
If they are an illegal immigrants or criminals they need to be deported. That is federal law. Incidentally deportations began with President Chester A. Arthur in
the 1880’s. Not a new concept.
Senator Gray, here’s a novel thought, decrease spending while you still have a population that is able to pay the bills. The bank is Broke!
Perhaps former LG Gray thinks she can buy votes with the taxpayers money. Where are all the NGO’s that helped these illegal aliens get into the U.S. No money for food once they’re in the U.S. I guess. That’s what the taxpayers are for? I’m pretty sure no one here in VT ever twisted the arms of the illegal aliens and made them cross the border. If they have zero money for food, perhaps they should think about self deporting. I’ve heard our Gubmint will even give them money to self deport.