Will SNAP benefits be paid as soon as the government shutdown ends?

(NEXSTAR) – If Congress votes to reopen the federal government, which could happen as early as Wednesday, a stressful month for SNAP recipients will soon be over.

The past several weeks were full of uncertainty and reversals for the 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help cover the cost of groceries.

At first the United States Department of Agriculture, which runs the SNAP program, said it would use emergency funding to cover benefits during a shutdown. Then the Trump administration changed course, saying no benefits would go out in November. That set off a chaotic series of events, with some people getting partial benefits, others getting nothing, and conflicting court decisions that left people in the balance.

If the U.S. House app