Democrats are working to balance their health care demands and find solutions for SNAP, with Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Wednesday introducing legislation that would direct the USDA to release available contingency funds to ensure benefits under SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program continue during the shutdown.

Many food pantries in the Philadelphia region said they're serving more people now than at the height of the pandemic amid the government shutdown.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — more commonly known as SNAP, or food stamps — is a key benefits program that serves more than 40 million people across the country. Now, the shutdown is threatening to suspend benefits, raising concerns over where millions of people who rely on the program will turn to for food.

The shutdown extending into November would have critical implications for SNAP Benefits. Republicans say there is no way to fund the program if the government remains closed, though Democrats have said the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a contigency plan that could keep the program funded through November.

City Council data from 2024 shows about 20% of New York City residents receive SNAP. In the Bronx, more than 40% of people rely on it.

Food aid for more than 40 million Americans is at risk of expiring at week's end. Republican leaders in Congress said it’s all or nothing Wednesday as they rejected a Democratic push for a temporary fix.

About 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to help pay for food every month. The payments help low-income individuals and families buy food at their local grocery stores with an EBT card that can be used on qualifying items.

Almost a month into the federal government shutdown, concerns over how this could impact Michiganders continue to loom large, especially when it comes to food assistance benefits.

As SNAP benefits get delayed as a result of the ongoing federal shutdown, Latinx families in L.A. would disproportionately bear the brunt. Several organizations in SoCal are looking to provide relief.

All 43 Democratic state legislators in Florida asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency ahead of the impending expiration of SNAP benefits.

Lawmakers in Louisiana approved a resolution Wednesday to allow the state's Department of Health to use up to $150 million in funding for some people who would normally receive SNAP benefits.