Federal cuts to food programs set to affect Gorge residents

by Emily Harris and Documenter Linda Zeigenfuss | Columbia Gorge

October 14, 2025

A paper bag partially filled with groceries.

A half-full bag of groceries. Photo illustration by Uplift Local.

The warning to Skamania County Commissioners at their Sept. 30 meeting was dire: In the event of a federal government shutdown, there was only enough money to cover two weeks of a food program, known as WIC, that helps low-income women who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing, and children younger than five.

The program serves about 2,500 women and children in the Gorge, including nearly 100 in Skamania County (see box).

“Past Oct. 15, basically people would not have access to their supplemental nutrition benefits,” county community health director Tamara Cissell told the board of commissioners.

That deadline is today, and the government shutdown is not close to a resolution. But the cutoff of aid to WIC recipients was averted when the White House temporarily directed some tariff revenue to the program.

Both Washington and Oregon say they have received enough money to fund the program through the end of this month but if the shutdown continues into November, funding is uncertain.

Separately, the federal government is warning that there isn’t enough money to pay for SNAP benefits, called Basic Food in Washington and formerly known as food stamps, if the shutdown continues past the end of this month.

Outside shutdown shortfalls, new work requirements for some SNAP recipients kicked in Oct. 1. Here’s what that means:

More people whose income is low enough that they are eligible for SNAP benefits now have to work, volunteer or go to school 80 hours a month to receive the help.

Groups who are facing this requirement for the first time include:
- Veterans.
- People experiencing homelessness.
- Adults younger than 54 with children older than 14. Parents of children up to 18 used to be exempt.
- All adults ages 55-64 with no children under 14. This age group as a whole was formerly exempt from a work requirement.

However, there still are many situations that still automatically exempt people eligible for SNAP from work requirements, including people receiving unemployment, attending certain substance recovery programs, or who can’t work due to mental, physical or behavioral health.

The list also includes one new group that is exempted from work requirements: Tribal members and their descendents who meet income requirements.

Here’s how these SNAP changes are playing out already on the Oregon side of the river:

State officials estimate that 900 people in Hood River County are now required to work or volunteer 80 hours a month in order to receive SNAP benefits.

Based on past experience, officials expect about a third of people who need to work to get SNAP benefits won’t meet the requirement and will lose that help buying food.

In Wasco County, work requirements for residents were not supposed to start until January, but the federal government now says that waiver will end Nov. 2.

Approximately 1,000 immigrants who are “lawfully present” in Oregon will stop receiving SNAP benefits at the end of October.

The work requirements will affect people on a rolling basis, as their benefits come up for renewal or they update their records.

“As it’s unknown how many people will lose SNAP eligibility by December, SNAP loss through the end of the year is hard to estimate,” Oregon Department of Human Services spokesperson Sara Campos told Uplift Local in an email.

But the department has estimated the potential losses to the local economy. “If … 300 Hood River County residents do not meet work rules and eventually lose their SNAP food benefits, that is estimated to reduce the SNAP benefits issued to Hood River residents by about $54,600 each month,” she wrote.

SNAP also provides some recipients help to cover heating and electricity bills. That federal support has also been cut, reducing or ending the support for about 29,000 households in Oregon.

For more information about how food program cuts may affect you or someone you know – start here if you live in Oregon, and here if you live in Washington.

Number of Gorge residents receiving support through the WIC program

County	Number of WIC recipients
Hood River	831; women and children combined
Wasco + Sherman (North Central Public Health District)	1,082; women and children combined
Klickitat	188 women, 454 children
Skamania	26 women, 67 children

Source: 2024 WIC reports from the Washington Department of Health and the Oregon Health Authority.

Read full notes from Skamania Board of County Commissioner’s Sept. 30 meeting by Documenter Linda Zeigenfuss.