Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among 25 states that filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Tuesday demanding the release of suspended benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The nation's largest anti-hunger initiative is one of dozens of programs that are days away from losing funding amid the nearly monthlong shutdown of the federal government.

States administer federal SNAP benefits to help lower-income residents cover their food expenses using debit cards that are refilled at the beginning of each month. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helps feed more than 40 million Americans — including about 2 million people in Pennsylvania and more than 800,000 in New Jersey.

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