Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins sharply criticized the Trump administration’s decision to slash $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next decade, calling the cuts to food benefits for working families, seniors and children “not just bad policy” but “cruel.”
The cuts are part of President Donald Trump’s tax legislation that passed Congress by razor-thin margins—51-50 in the Senate with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote, and 218-214 in the House.
“Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are smart investments in public health, local economies, and community resilience,” Gaskins said in a statement. “Cutting them undermines working families and harms children, seniors, and others who already live below the poverty line.”
The legislation will fundamentally reshape SNAP, which currently serves more than 42 million Americans—roughly one in eight people nationwide. The changes include expanded work requirements for adults ages 55 through 64 and parents without children younger than 14, while eliminating work exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults aging out of foster care.
More than one-third of the projected savings will come from these tougher work requirements, which the Congressional Budget Office assumes will force some people off the program entirely.
Starting in 2028, states will also face new financial pressures. Virginia and other states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% will have to cover between 5% and 15% of benefit costs—a shift that could lead some states to reduce or eliminate benefits for residents.
Gaskins acknowledged Alexandria’s support for government efficiency but drew a firm line at cuts targeting vulnerable populations.
“In Alexandria, we support efforts to make government more efficient and fiscally responsible. But doing so at the expense of the most vulnerable is unacceptable,” she said. “It is a failure of both policy and principle. These are not savings—they are setbacks.”
The mayor vowed that Alexandria would continue supporting residents despite federal policy changes.
“While national leadership continues to fall short, our commitment to Alexandrians remains unwavering and resolute,” Gaskins said. “Like many communities across the country, we will continue meeting our residents where they are—helping them build the futures they deserve.”
The SNAP program, renamed from food stamps in 2008, provides monthly payments averaging $350 per household for food purchases to low-income residents. The modern version has operated since 1979 as a cornerstone of the nation’s social safety net.
Full Statement
Mayor Alyia Gaskins Responds to Cuts to SNAP Benefits
The Federal Administration decision to severely cut supplemental nutrition assistance for working families, seniors and children is not just bad policy, it is cruel.
Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are smart investments in public health, local economies, and community resilience. Cutting them undermines working families and harms children, seniors, and others who already live below the poverty line.
In Alexandria, we support efforts to make government more efficient and fiscally responsible. But doing so at the expense of the most vulnerable is unacceptable. It is a failure of both policy and principle. These are not savings—they are setbacks.
While national leadership continues to fall short, our commitment to Alexandrians remains unwavering and resolute. Like many communities across the country, we will continue meeting our residents where they are—helping them build the futures they deserve.
