(The Hill) -- Starting Saturday, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions are in jeopardy as the impacts of the weeks-long federal government shutdown expand.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the food stamp program, said last week it will not use more than $5 million in contingency funding that Congress had allocated for emergency scenarios. Next month’s SNAP benefits are estimated at $8 billion.

SNAP funding is given to states monthly, with the federal government and states splitting administrative costs and states operating their own programs.

In fiscal year 2024, approximately 41.7 million people received monthly SNAP benefits, according to the USDA. The federal government spent $99.8 billion on the program, amounting to rough

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