Five weeks into the federal government shutdown, Washington remains in limbo and the ripple effects are growing more serious. November 1, millions of Americans who rely on food-assistance benefits under programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could see their support stop entirely unless funding is restored.

The administration shifted funds to pay out October benefits for the federal nutrition program for young mothers and kids, known as WIC. Congress has put more than $5 billion into a contingency fund designed to cover SNAP benefits during emergencies. But the administration says the fund is reserved for unforeseen events such as natural disasters. The current shutdown doesn’t qualify, according to Trump officials, because it was caused by Democrats. “Contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits,” according to a memo issued last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bill on October 22 to reinstate SNAP benefits during the shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) expressed support for Hawley’s bill saying, “We will vote for the Hawley bill if Thune does the right thing and puts it on the floor before the weekend, before families lose their benefits,” Schumer said. Some Democratic senators are expected to head to the floor to request unanimous consent to pass these proposals. That includes Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), who has a new bill that funds both SNAP and WIC. Read more here.