U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis on Tuesday joined legislation aimed at protecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the roughly 28,000 Wyoming residents who rely on federal food assistance, as the ongoing government shutdown threatens to cut off nutrition programs nationwide.

With federal funding stalled, SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs are expected to run out of money by Nov. 1, potentially leaving more than 40 million Americans without access to food aid.

The bill, called the Keep SNAP Funded Act, was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and would ensure uninterrupted SNAP payments during the shutdown. The measure would retroactively fund the program to the start of the lapse in government operations.

Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, said t

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