The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides government assistance to bring food and other necessities to low-income households.

Two federal judges ruled the Trump administration must continue to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The SNAP program has been a major piece of the U.S. social safety network since it launched as the food stamp program in 1964.

The pain of the shutdown is being felt by millions of other Americans as the federal government enters Day 32 of a funding squabble.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday announced that Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) will deliver benefits to people who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If the shutdown hasn’t ended by Nov. 1, VENA will begin weekly distributions on Monday.

The plan detailed how the agency would use the contingency fund provided by Congress to continue benefits. The fund holds roughly $6 billion, about two-thirds of a month of SNAP benefits, meaning USDA would still have to reshuffle an additional $3 billion to cover the remainder for November.

With benefits expected to run out Saturday because of the government shutdown, Democratic leaders of 25 states allege the USDA is required to keep providing funds.