Sen. Welch Sounds Alarm on SNAP Cuts and Inflation Crushing Vermont Families

In a stark reminder of the real human cost behind federal policy, U.S. Senator Peter Welch toured Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects (HOPE), Addison County’s largest food shelf, this week. His message was clear: the battle over nutrition assistance in Washington is intensifying, and Vermonters are paying the price.

Welch laid blame squarely on the Republican-led budget passed last July, which imposed harsher restrictions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New work requirements kicked thousands of Vermonters off food aid in March, and last fall, many legally present noncitizens lost eligibility altogether. These cuts come amid a surge in prices driven by Trump’s reckless tariff wars and the administration’s escalating military spending linked to conflict with Iran.

“This is all about the affordability crisis,” Welch told reporters. “If you’re working hard, you should be able to pay your bills.” He criticized the Trump administration for prioritizing Pentagon demands over feeding struggling families, calling the shift in federal responsibility for food assistance costs to states “unfair” and “backwards.”

HOPE’s executive director Jeanne Montross confirmed the strain on Vermont families. With about 1,000 people relying on the food shelf monthly—a 15% increase since winter—Montross described the impossible choices many face between rent, fuel, and groceries. Client services manager Kerry Conley highlighted the crushing impact of soaring gas and heating oil prices during a bitterly cold winter extending into spring.

Economic data backs up these on-the-ground reports. The congressional Joint Economic Committee, led by Democrats, estimates the average Vermont household has faced $2,500 in extra costs since Trump’s second term began. While grocery inflation has been more modest recently, experts warn that rising transportation and fertilizer costs will soon push food prices higher.

Local grocers like Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier are already feeling the pinch. Marketing manager Rowan Sherwood explained that tariffs have forced price hikes on staples like coffee, costs that stores can only absorb so much before passing them to customers.

Adding insult to injury, last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act forced Vermont to shoulder millions in administrative expenses for food assistance once covered federally. Advocates warn that new SNAP restrictions will require even more state funding to help vulnerable Vermonters navigate complex paperwork and avoid losing benefits.

Welch’s visit spotlighted the dignity and dedication of HOPE’s staff, who strive to meet growing needs despite shrinking federal support. “My hope is I could take a little bit of what folks are doing here back to Washington,” he said.

As inflation and policy cuts tighten the noose on food security, Sen. Welch’s call to protect and expand nutrition assistance programs is a crucial pushback against an administration that has made clear it values corporate cronies and military expansion over feeding working Americans. This fight isn’t just about food—it’s about the kind of country we want to be.