The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it does not have the money to pay for food stamp benefits for November.

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.

More than two dozen Democratic state leaders are suing the Department of Agriculture after the Trump administration said it would not use contingency funds to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

A federal judge in Boston seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s plan to stop funding the SNAP food aid program amid the government shutdown.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. What is SNAP? SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides benefits to low-income families to help afford food.

With benefits expected to run out Saturday because of the government shutdown, Democratic leaders of 25 states allege that the USDA is required to keep providing funds.