There is a legal dispute over whether emergency funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture can be used to pay for benefits.

This week, states like New Mexico and Vermont have announced plans to protect residents for part of November. The former is using $30 million of state funding to temporarily support food assistance, which will last about 10 days. The latter has approved $6.3 million in state funding that will cover 15 days of SNAP benefits.

Millions of Texans are expected to be impacted by the halt in SNAP benefits next month, as a result of the government shutdown. Austin-area food banks stay open to help those facing food insecurity.

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has called on Speaker Mike Johnson to reopen the House of Representatives to vote on a bill aimed at funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as millions of Americans face potential interruptions in benefits amid the ongoing 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.