Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, used by 42 million Americans, is set to run dry on Saturday as the U.S. government shutdown continues.

Democrats are working to balance their health care demands and find solutions for SNAP, with Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Wednesday introducing legislation that would direct the USDA to release available contingency funds to ensure benefits under SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program continue during the shutdown.

What exactly is SNAP and is it the same as food stamps? How does it work? Here's who benefits as the Nov. 1 cutoff nears.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — more commonly known as SNAP, or food stamps — is a key benefits program that serves more than 40 million people across the country. Now, the shutdown is threatening to suspend benefits, raising concerns over where millions of people who rely on the program will turn to for food.

The Fair Food Network (FFN) is expanding its Double Up Food Bucks Program in Michigan due to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) halting SNAP benefits for November amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the scope of Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, a stopgap state-funded program to cover SNAP cutoffs Nov. 1.

Almost a month into the federal government shutdown, concerns over how this could impact Michiganders continue to loom large, especially when it comes to food assistance benefits.