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The United States Department of Agriculture stated on Saturday that SNAP funds from a major federal social assistance programs will not be distributed next month due to the ongoing federal closure.

Closure Continues Through Its Third Week

The federal closure had reached nearly a month at the time of the statement, which followed calls from over 200 Democratic representatives pushing the USDA to access reserve accounts to pay for November's food assistance.

“The reality is, resources are exhausted,” officials announced. “Now, there will be no benefits issued” starting next month.

Millions Affected

More than 41 million individuals count on the regular assistance, as reported by the USDA. Some regions, such as one southwestern state, dependence on this assistance affects one-fifth of the population.

Documents reviewed by Reuters revealed that USDA officials would not access contingency funding for the upcoming payments.

Partisan Impasse

Congressional leaders continue to disagree over how to fund and reopen the federal government.

Comments by the leader of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted that the administration had opportunities to take earlier action to avoid interruption in payments.

“They had the ability and responsibility made moves earlier to be prepared to utilize available money,” the comments added. “Conversely, officials could opt out in an effort to gain political advantage” as Republicans seek to push upper chamber Democrats to approve a funding package to restart federal functions.

States Prepare

Executives in two affected states activated emergency protocols recently to allocate funds to address food insecurity expecting food benefits expiring during the upcoming period.