Gov. Walz announced state funding Monday to help Minnesotans who receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

If no deal is reached in Washington, SNAP benefits, funds that help pay for groceries, could run out for families across the country. Here is how you can help.

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.

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 Agriculture Department said it can't use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits, contradicting earlier guidance that the money was available.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are expiring in two days amid the nearly one-month-long government shutdown. Based on 2024's fiscal year, nearly 42 million low-income Americans relied on SNAP to afford groceries and receive crucial food assistance.