The U.S. Senate reached a tentative agreement on Nov. 9 aimed at reopening the federal government and funding several agencies and programs, including food aid and veterans' benefits.

The agreed-to deal, which was struck with a group of Senate Democrats, would reopen the government until Jan. 30. It also includes a minibus appropriations package that consists of three bills that would fund the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and military construction projects through the end of the fiscal year in 2026.

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would continue through September 2026 at higher levels. SNAP emerged as a critical flashpoint in the longest-ever government shutdown, which entered its 40th day on Nov. 9.

SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, lapsed at the start of November for the first time in the program's 60-year history due to the government shutdown. States, cities, and nonprofit organizations have sued the Trump administration to issue full SNAP benefits after it said in October that benefits would not be disbursed in November.

The Supreme Court late on Nov. 7 allowed the government to continue withholding about $4 billion in funding. SNAP benefits cost about $8 billion to $9 billion per month.

The dispute ended up in the highest court after the government appealed for a second time on Nov. 7, an order from a federal judge to fully fund the program by the end of the day. Rhode Island Federal District Court Judge John McConnell had accused the government of playing political games with the lives of the 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps.

The majority of recipients are extremely low-income families with children, as well as seniors and people with disabilities. Many have turned to already-strained food pantries, and grocery stores have raised concerns on the SNAP disruption, causing sales drops.

Contributing: Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tentative Senate deal to reopen government would provide funding for SNAP

Reporting by Zachary Schermele and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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