U.S. Rep. Ben Cline introduced an amendment to the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, aimed at closing a loophole in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and improving consistency between states.
“A current loophole allows states to make participants categorically eligible for certain SNAP programs, allowing for taxpayer-funded benefits to go to households that are not actually eligible,” Cline wrote on X.
The issue arises as Congress considers updates to major nutrition assistance programs, with lawmakers debating how federal standards should be applied nationwide. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is part of broader legislative efforts to update agriculture and nutrition policy affecting program administration across the country. Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania introduced the bill in February 2026, which advanced through committee markup in March with an amendment deadline set for April 22, according to filings with the House Rules Committee.
The scale of SNAP participation underscores the significance of these proposed changes. In Virginia alone, there was an average of 817,500 monthly SNAP recipients in fiscal year 2025—about 9.2% of the state’s population—highlighting both fluctuations in participation levels and the importance of consistent federal guidelines for state implementation, according to USAFacts.
Nationally, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants per month in fiscal year 2024, with federal spending reaching $99.8 billion. Average monthly benefits reached $187 per person, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.
Cline has represented Virginia’s 6th Congressional District since 2019 after serving in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2018, according to his official biography. He previously worked as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney for Rockingham County and Harrisonburg and as chief of staff to former Congressman Bob Goodlatte.
