SNAP benefits likely to resume quickly once government shutdown ends, experts say

After weeks of uncertainty, millions of Americans could soon start receiving federal nutrition assistance benefits again as Congress moves closer to ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

The House of Representatives could vote on a funding package for federal agencies as soon as Wednesday night. The legislation, which the Senate approved on Monday , would restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits for November. It also calls for state governments to be reimbursed for any funds they spent to run programs usually paid for by the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture told states last month that it would not fund SNAP, better known as food stamps, for November if the shutdown continued. Nearly 42 million Americans receive