Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday to prevent a lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for Virginians beginning Nov. 1 as a result of the ongoing government shutdown.

The shutdown has left the U.S. Department of Agriculture roughly $3 billion short in its multi-year contingency fund to cover a month of SNAP benefits, which provides food assistance for low-income individuals, according to reporting from the Virginia Mercury. Without the necessary funds or a congressional deal to cover the program, the USDA notified the commonwealth earlier this week that benefits would not be issued in the new month.

The state of emergency allows the state to use emergency funds to cover the cost of the program, which more than 850,000 Virginians rely on for

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