WACO, Texas — As the nation's second-longest government shutdown drags on , Texas food banks are preparing for an unprecedented surge in demand.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that SNAP benefits will not be distributed starting Nov. 1. The decision affects approximately 3.5 million Texans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Roughly one in eight Americans nationwide rely on SNAP to buy groceries each month.

"Starting Nov. 1, for every day that the shutdown continues and there is no funding, we estimate over 120,000 Texans will lose their benefits," said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. "What that means is people not having the money to go to the grocery store, put food on the table."

In its notice, the USDA stat

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